Multivariate Ecological Community Analysis I

Learn and/or interpret ‘multivariate’ analysis methods, which are used on datasets with multiple response variables (such as many different species, traits, habitat conditions, genomic information, etc.). This course helps you identify the ecological and statistical properties of multivariate responses, demonstrates how to summarize and graph data to reveal those properties, explains which distance measures will do the best job capturing the patterns among your responses, discusses the consequences of modifying or failing to modify data when needed, introduces the most common multivariate analyses applicable to ecological datasets, describes ordination and how to interpret ordination diagrams, and takes you through a ten-step process for performing, interpreting, and communicating defensible analyses for five different types of guided ordination: WA, PO, CCA, RDA, and FSO. This course (MECA I) is the first course in a two-part series taught in PC-ORD with many exercises in R. In MECA II, you will build upon your foundation in MECA I to cover an additional 18 free ordination, classification, group testing, association assessment, and trait analysis tools in PC-ORD.

Learn at your own pace with or without instructor support (see Online Course Format Chart below for details).

Summer: Jun 1 - Sept 6, 2026

Fall: Sept 8 – Dec 20, 2026 (Early bird ends August 9)

*Early bird saves $75

MECA I is designed for ecologists and ecosystem managers in all fields, regardless of statistical training or software familiarity. Although a basic understanding of sampling, correlation, regression, p-values, and ANOVA as well as communities, habitats, and ecological gradients would be helpful in better understanding the analyses learned in this course, knowledge in these subjects is not necessary. The course is designed for those without any background in multivariate statistics, but will require either purchasingPC-ORD, which can be used to complete all exercises in this course, or a free subscription to R, which can be used to complete most exercises.

• Learn on your own and at your own pace over the 3-month term as you view 37 pre-recorded lectures, read up on the covered topics in the textbook (see below), and watch and/or perform 19 practice exercises using the PC-ORD software. After each lesson, take a brief knowledge-check quiz before moving on.

• Textbook (comprehensive coverage of all material in MECA I & II): Peck, J.E.  2016. Multivariate Analysis for Ecologists: Step-by-Step, second edition. https://www.wildblueberrymedia.net/store/step-by-step, $55 + shipping.

• Required software (if also taking MECA II): PC-ORD version 7, which was written by and for ecologists applying multivariate analyses. A discounted purchase price for a perpetual license has been negotiated for our students. https://www.wildblueberrymedia.net/store/pc-ord-7-single-user-license-student-user, $150

• Alternatively, this course (MECA I) can be taken using R, but some analyses are not currently offered in R. 

TOPICS

• Distances and distance measures

• Statistical and ecological properties of species and habitat datasets

• How to organize your multivariate data

• How to import and screen your multivariate data

• How to prepare your multivariate data for analysis

• Choosing an analysis tool

• Introduction to the guided ordination methods: 

  • weighted averaging

  • polar ordination

  • canonical correspondence analysis

  • redundancy analysis

  • fuzzy set ordination

LEARNING OUTCOMES

After taking this course, students will be able to:

• Distinguish between univariate and multivariate analyses

• Know the strengths and limitations of common distance measures

• Correctly match dataset properties to distance measures

• Organize data into matrices for analysis

• Recognize when and how to modify data prior to analysis

• Choose among WA, PO, CCA, RDA, and FSO to address analysis objectives

• Understand the basic analysis steps of WA, PO, CCA, RDA, and FSO

• Correctly set up basic analyses using WA, PO, CCA, RDA, and FSO

• Interpret the basic analysis output from WA, PO, CCA, RDA, and FSO, including interpreting and presenting ordination diagrams

• Optionally import and screen data and perform these analyses using the PC-ORD software

FORMAT:

• 3 months of access to course materials as you work at your own pace 

CONTINUING EDUCATION:

• 16 CEUs with The Wildlife Society

• 4 CEUs in Category I(a): Scientific Education and Training with the Ecological Society of America

• Go to our Continuing Education Page for more details

FORMAT:

• 3 months of access to course materials as you work at your own pace 

• Get instructor support for the 3-month term via email, discussion threads, group meetings, and one-on-one appointments

• After working through the course materials, set up an optional meeting with the instructor to discuss your own personal project from work or school

CONTINUING EDUCATION:

• 16 CEUs with The Wildlife Society

• 4 CEUs in Category I(a): Scientific Education and Training with the Ecological Society of America

• Go to our Continuing Education Page for more details

CERTIFICATIONS:

• Earn 1 credit toward certification as an Associate/Certified Wildlife Biologist® (at any level) with The Wildlife Society

FORMAT:

• 12 months of access to course materials as you work at your own pace 

• Get instructor support for the 3-month term via email, discussion threads, group meetings, and one-on-one appointments

• After working through the course materials, set up an optional meeting with the instructor to discuss your own personal project from work or school

CONTINUING EDUCATION:

• 16 CEUs with The Wildlife Society

• 4 CEUs in Category I(a): Scientific Education and Training with the Ecological Society of America

• Go to our Continuing Education Page for more details

CERTIFICATIONS:

• Earn 1 credit toward certification as an Associate/Certified Wildlife Biologist® (at any level) with The Wildlife Society

• Earn 1 credit towards a professional certificate in Applied Quantitative Ecology with CWS

ACADEMIC CREDIT:

• Earn 1 academic credit (go to our Academic Credit Page for details)

• Earn an additional 1-2 academic credits with an Applied Project