Ecological cladistics—an investigation of numerical cladistics as a method for analysing ecological data

Abstract

This paper argues the case for the use of numerical cladistics in ecological analysis. A brief background to the use of techniques which group on similarity in taxonomy and ecology is given. The difference between cladistics and phenetics is explored and the implications for ecological analysis considered. The theoretical justification for the use of numerical cladistics in ecology is presented. Five marine and freshwater data sets are re-analysed using the numerical cladistic programs PHYLIP and PAUP and the results compared with standard ecological techniques. It is concluded that numerical cladistics is more effective than numerical phenetic programs such as ordination because of greater explanatory power and the incorporation of a logical criterion, parsimony, to select between competing explanations.