The predictability of the physical arrangement of plants, at whatever scale it is viewed, is referred to as their spatial pattern. Spatial pattern is a crucial aspect of vegetation which has important implications not only for the plants themselves, but also for other organisms which interact with plants, such as herbivores and pollinators, or those animals for which plants provide a habitat. This book describes and evaluates methods for detecting and quantifying a variety of characteristics of spatial pattern. As well as discussing the concepts on which these techniques are based, examples from real field studies and worked examples are included, which, together with numerous line figures, help guide the reader through the text. The result is a book that will be of value to graduate students and research workers in the fields of vegetation science, conservation biology and applied ecology.

‘It fills an empty niche in the market and will be very useful both for those who need to use or interpret pattern analysis … a useful reference and guide.’

E. A. John Source: Journal of Ecology

‘This is a very well written and extremely useful book for its intended target audience, graduate students and research workers in the fields of vegetation science, conservation biology and applied ecology.’

David Slingsby Source: Biological Conservation