Correlation

To find out if there is an association or a relationship between the distribution and abundance of species and an abiotic factor, such as exposure to light, temperature, soil water content or salinity (saltiness), one can

• plot scatter graphs and make a judgement by eye
• or calculate a correlation coefficient (r) assess the strength of any correlation that you expect

The strongest correlation you can have is when all the points lie on a straight ine: there is a linear correlation

This is a correlation coefficient of 1

Strength means how close the points are to the straight line

• If variable A increses so does B, the relationship is a positive…