Spatial interpolation methods for interpretation of ordination diagrams

Abstract

Spatial interpolation methods are very popular in geosciences. Among these, trend surface analysis (TSA), inverse-distance interpolation, splines, and kriging are the most commonly used. Although vegetation science handles many spatial aspects of ecological data, these methods have experienced less appreciation. TSA and kriging interpolations are discussed in the present paper. Detailed formulations of the techniques are given, and their advantages and flaws briefly discussed. Two example data sets are used to elucidate the applications of these methods in the interpretation of ordination diagrams.