TREND-SURFACE ANALYSIS - A SIMPLE TOOL FOR MODELING SPATIAL PATTERNS OF WEEDS

A methodological study in mapping vegetation variables is presented. T he method, which is related to trend surface analysis, is based on pol ynomial regression and is used in this paper to describe the spatial p attern of a weed community in a corn field. In a field experiment carr ied out in Rennes (Brittany, France), the weed flora was dominated by three species (Polygonum persicaria, Chenopodium album and Solanum nig rum). For the first two species, the mapping analysis shows a spatial gradient while for Solanum nigrum, patches were found throughout the s ampling area.