Constructing species frequency distributions - A step toward systemic management

Abstract

There is practical importance to understanding the process of constructing frequency distributions for the characteristics of species. Such distributions represent diversity and are needed to measure and observe the limits to variation among species so that such information can be used in management. Basically, the construction of species frequency distributions involves four steps: 1) data collection (measuring species); 2) finding the range of values within the data (maximum minus minimum); 3) subdivision of the range into categories or bins; 4) finding the portion of species that fall in each category established in step 3 (i.e., fraction of the sample of species measured); and 4) plotting the results in a histogram to produce a graphic representation of an underlying probability distribution. Various measures of species are possible and can be represented in such distributions to depict variation and its limits. Examples are chromosome count, population variation, geographic range size, carbon dioxide production, biomass consumption, and mean adult body mass. Management depends on such measures so that efforts can be made, where possible, to keep species within the normal range of natural variation in order to implement one of the primary principles of management.


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