A Method of Iteration of Averages in Ecological Research

Abstract

The study and conservation of biological diversity is one of the global contemporary environmental problems of world significance. The goal of the study is to propose a method for identifying promising plants based on iteration of average values. For this purpose, nine trial plots were laid in the steppe, forest-steppe, and mountain zones of the Northwestern Caucasus in protective and forest stands. Based on well-known methods, the height, trunk diameter, crown radius, abundance of fruiting, weight and selection value of nuts were studied. We studied the change in the average values of the indicators at different numbers of iterations. A method for identifying promising individuals based on the values of the average of iterations 4 and 5 was proposed. The proposed method was compared with the known method based on the values of the sum (difference) of the mean and double standard deviation. With a statistically normal distribution of indicators, the known and proposed methods give close values in the direction of increase or decrease in the indicator. Using the known method with a statistical distribution that differs from normal in some cases gives meaningless values. The proposed method based on the average value of iterations 4 and 5 in the direction of increase or decrease in the studied indicator allows one to use it to select objects with a statistical distribution that differs from normal.