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The changes of the Update 98 are marked with an * |
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MULVA-5 is a program package designed to apply multivariate statistical methods to vegetation and site data as a means of investigation in plant ecology. The individual programs of MULVA-5 allow you to analyse relevés by correlating vegetation and site factors and by investigating vegetation patterns. Lists of species (relevé data) can be analysed for similarity to find groups (Classification) or establish a meaningful order (Ordination). You can investigate the floristic and ecological composition of relevés as well as similar occurrence of species. MULVA-5 can also be used to derive simple models from the relevé and site data. |
| A complete description of MULVA-5 is now available in book form:
Wildi, O. & Orlóci, L. (1996): Numerical Exploration of Community Patterns. A guide to the use of MULVA-5. |
The programs of MULVA-5 are arranged in the following groups:
| Name | Purpose | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Open |
Open MULVA-files, initialize, transform data | Initializes the analysis of a data set, creates a working copy of the original file. Means, standard deviations and frequencies of species and relevés are calculated. |
| 12 * Import |
Transform data into MULVA format | A collection of routines allowing to import data from Excel, three different text files, DECORANA file, MULVA-4 and from a pixel map. |
| 13 Applic |
Run an application | Command sequences to run one or more programs can be displayed and started, dialogues can be inserted into self-made applications |
| 21 Groups |
Manipulation of classifications | Modifies vectors containing the numbers (labels) of the relevés and species and their group affiliation. |
| 22 * Data |
Manipulation of data | Secondary files are generated according to user specifications. |
| 23 Coord |
Manipulation of Coordinates | - |
| 24 * Datsim |
Data simulation | Several possibilities, one without data source and two modifying a primary file |
| 25 * Export |
Export of data, coordinates, classifications and maps | Data and results are exported as MULVA-5 or DECORANA formats, as 3 separate text files, as a file of coordinates, classification, or ordered tables for spreadsheets |
| 31 Resemb |
Comparison of relevés, attributes, site factors and coordinates | Vectors are compared, resemblance matrices of the relevés and attributes are calculated and stored for further analyses. |
| 32 Fspath |
Flexible shortest path adjustment, linearizes resemblance matrices | Long distances are eliminated by the shortest in the resemblance matrices, a new distance measure is created |
| 41 Cluster |
Agglomerative Cluster Analysis | Single linkage, complete linkeage and minimum variance cluster analysis, a dendrogram is displayed and groups are formed |
| 42 Compord |
Component analysis (PCA, PCOA, CA) | Principal component, principal coordinates and correspondence analysis are executed, the resulting component coefficients, eigenvalues and component scores are shown |
| 43 Ranking |
Orlóci's rank algorithm | Ranking by independent components, based on partitioning variance, allows to reduce species and relevés to an absolute minimum while retaining a maximum of differentiating power |
| 44 Mregr |
Multiple regression analysis | Computes an multiple linear regression |
| 45 * Autcor |
Auto correlation analysis | Analysis to determine the spatial (or temporal or ecological) heterogeneity of a population |
| 51 Concent |
Concentration analysis | Measures the quality of a structured vegetation table, i.e. the concentration of the presence of species groups within the relevé groups |
| 52 Discrim |
Discriminant analysis and Jancey's F-ranking | Trying to separate groups, species ranking in a vegetation table allows to select species with high differentiating power |
| 53 Identif |
Identification, reallocation and elimination of rare species | Individuals are allocated to existing groups or, when already classified, membership is tested and adapted, outliers are classified |
| 54 * Fuzzord |
Fuzzy set operations | Fuzzy ordination based on classification or on a site factor |
| 55 * Nodal |
Nodal analysis (grid analysis) | In the coordinate hyperspace point clouds are searched representing centres of groups |
| 56 * Baymod |
Generation of a Bayes model and vegetation simulation | Deriving a Bayes-model from a data set with site factors, upon specifying the ecological factors of a site the probabilities of occurrence are calculated |
| 61 * Tables |
Display vegetation tables | A vegetation table containing either coded data or digital numbers with the site data in the header of the table |
| 62 Ordina |
Display ordinations | Creates a squared ordination. In order to identify the data points, a sorted list of relevés and species is created |
| 63 Gradpr |
Display site diagrams | Presents gradients selected from the site data in the table header, for selected species the response function is drawn in a coordinate system, derives a histogram of species frequencies in site factor classes |
| 64 Maps |
Display maps | Prints pixel maps stored in the INTERCHANGE format, content of the map is analysed and displayed in a histogram |
| 71 Status |
Show system status | The capacity of the MULVA-5 version used and the state of the temporary results can be checked: maximum numbers, sorting, coordinate and resemblance options, secondary files |
| 72 Prinmod |
Save screen output | Mode that allows to save the display on the screen in a print file and export it to a text processing program |
| 73 Macrmod |
Generate applications | Mode that allows to store the entries in any of the programs in a new application, which can be run by APPLIC |
| 74 Files |
File operations | Files with standard names are listed, copied, erased and saved |
| 75 News |
Information about changes in program versions | News and changes from the original descriptions of MULVA-5 are listed |