Using Statistics to Understand the Environment

It has long been the case that introductory courses to statistics have been the bane of many students early academic lives. Yet the concepts and techniques involved are crucial to the understanding of the systems under examination. This is particularly true for environmental investigations, which cover a broad sweep of disciplines: from social science to pollution studies and from environmental management to ecology. Since these systems are complex, statistical methods are important techniques in the interpretation of project results. Using Statistics to Understand the Environment covers all the basic tests required for environmental practicals and projects and points the way to the more advanced techniques that may be needed in more complex research designs. Following an introduction to project design, the book covers methods to describe data, to examine differences between samples, and to identify relationships and associations between variables. Featuring: worked examples covering a wide range of environmental topics, drawings and icons, chapter summaries, a glossary of statistical terms and a further reading section, this book focuses on the needs of the researcher rather than on the mathematics behind the tests and provides an invaluable student-friendly introduction to this core area of Environmental Studies.