An Analysis of Nigerian Savanna: II. An Alternative Method of Analysis and its Application to the Gombe Sandstone Vegetation

The method of population division employed in a previous paper on the Bima sandstone vegetation is discussed with particular reference to its limitations. A modification is made which eliminates the main disadvantages inherent in the sample data but the original method still remains cumbersome and is based on presence/absence data which are only a part of the full data available. An alternative method utilizing an inter-plot coefficient of similarity calculated from the full quantitative data available is proposed. This method is used to divide the Gombe sandstone vegetation into groups and the result agrees closely with the empirical classification of this vegetation established during the field survey. As a check the method was used to divide the Bima sandstone vegetation and the resulting groups, while not identical with those established originally, are sufficiently close to warrant comparisons being made. The main advantages and disadvantages of the method are discussed and the conclusion is reached that the method is sufficiently advantageous to warrant its further use.