Modelling and classification of species abundance: a case study in the Barro Colorado Island plot

Quantifying and modelling the effect of environmental variables on the abundance of species is of great importance in plant ecology and forestry. In this paper, using a log-additive model, the effect of environmental variables on distribution of five species in the Barro Colorado Island plot is modelled. The fitted log-additive models are examined and compared with conventional log-linear models. Finally, a cluster analysis is employed to classify species into groups with similar habitat preferences.