Methods in plant population biology: table of contents

Index
1. Introduction
1.1. Why to collect data on population biology, nature of the data
1.2. What are the basic demography parameters
2. Data collection for demography studies
2.1. How to define an individual
2.2. How to define a population
2.3. Selection of individuals for the study
2.3.1. Basic concepts
2.3.2. Selection of individuals for estimation of population parameters
2.3.3. How to perform random sampling
2.3.4. Selection of individuals to estimate relationship between two parameters (regression analysis)
2.4. Collecting data on natality, mortality and sizes: similarities and differences
2.5. Working with cohorts
2.6. Other methodological notes on sampling demography data
2.6.1. Tagging plants for repeated measurements
2.6.2. How often should I sample
3. Analysis of demographical data (data on natality and mortality)
3.1. Analysis of demographical data: Introduction and basic concepts
3.2. Analysis of data at the level of plots
3.2.1. Natality at the level of plots
3.2.2. Mortality at the level of plots
3.3. Analysis of data at the level of individuals
3.3.1. Natality at the level of individuals
3.3.2. Mortality at the level of individuals: Structure of data on survival and estimation of individual life span
3.3.3. Mortality at the level of individuals: Relationship between life span and other variables (regression analysis of the life span)
4. Analysis of data on size and other measures of performance at the individual level
4.1. Selection of size parameters
4.2. Analysis of continuous variables (size and other similar parameters)
4.2.1. Data on allocation to different organs: root/shoot ratio and similar parameters
4.3. Categorical and other difficult to handle variables as measures of individual performance
4.4. Plant performance having both categorical and continuous components
4.5. Hierarchical parameters of individual performance
4.6. Problems with missing values at the level of individuals
4.7. Calibration of biomass and other parameters that are difficult to measure
4.8. Notes on analysis of size data from pot experiments
5. Problems of time scale in seasonal climate and how to handle it
6. Data on seed production, seed germination and seedling survival
6.1. Seed production in the field
6.2. Seed germination and seedling survival
6.3. Seedling establishment in the field
6.3.1. Design of experiments
6.3.2. Data analysis
7. Modelling size or age structured populations using population projection matrices
7.1. What can be done using this approach
7.2. Background of the technique
7.3. Note on data sampling
8. Molecular markers in population biology: techniques and possible questions
8.1 Introduction: What kind of problems can be studied
8.2. Molecular techniques, their properties and application
8.3. Factors effecting genetic structure of populations: what do I need to know about my species in order to be able to interpret the results
8.4. Sampling plants for molecular studies - differences to chapter 2.
8.5. Methods to estimate within and between population variation and interpretation of this information (long distance dispersal, history of populations and similar processes)
8.5.1. Sampling for estimation of genetic variation within and between populations
8.5.2. Analysis of genetic variation within and between populations
8.5.3. Analysis of data on distances between populations: Autocorrelations of genetic similarities
8.5.4. Models to estimate gene flow
8.6. Estimation of level of autogamy in the field
8.7. Types of reproductive systems
8.8. Interpretation of data on genetic variation and similarity between and within populations
8.8.1. An example of interpretation of data on genetic variation and similarity between and within populations
8.8.2. Study of population history using genetic techniques
8.8.3. Level of local differentiation as an indicator for local adaptation
8.9. Parentage analysis
8.10. Molecular markers in studies of ecology of clonal plants
9. Population biology of clonal plants
9.2. Genet level mortality
9.3. Genet size
10. Study of plasticity and how to separate plastic and non-plastic variability
10. 1. How to establish an experiment to study plasticity
10.2. How to test and interpret differences between genotypes (fixed or random effect?)
10.3. Data analysis
10.4. How to deal with data containing several measurements of one same parameter in one pot (data in time, data on more individuals within one pot)
10.5. Parameters at the level of genets and how to test them
11. Estimation of population size and isolation
11.1. Estimation of population size
11.2. Estimation of population isolation
11.3. Analysis of parameters at the population level
12. References

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