Applied Forest Ecology & Silviculture Lab

PC-ORD

Multivariate Data Analysis Using PC-ORD

Short-courses on analyzing species community data with the PC-ORD software package.

Training Options

Short-courses are available in two formats:

• Workshops allow you to attend in person, enabling precise observations during demonstrations and opportunities to make inquiries about your own data and analyses.

   

• Webinars allow you to attend via the Internet, eliminating travel costs.

Content

PC-ORD was written with community ecologists in mind and includes a variety of procedures and options best suited for species data.  A proper analysis of community data requires more than the right tool, however; familiarity with a process for how to best use that tool is critical.  With that in mind, workshops for novices in the use of PC-ORD and in multivariate analyses in general have been developed to provide training in three areas:

1. multivariate community analyses, to know what tools are available and what they do

2. the PC-ORD software, to understand how to use these tools properly

3. a 10-step analysis process for defensible data analysis and interpretation

Tools are introduced, explained, and demonstrated in the order in which you would use them while conducting an analysis.

Training sessions focus on the following topics:

• importing, screening, and restructuring your data prior to analysis

• exploring and preparing the data for analysis and selecting the appropriate tools

• guided ordination tools (weighted averaging, polar ordination, CCA, RDA)

• free ordination tools (PCA, NMS)

• classification tools (cluster analysis, two-way cluster analysis)

• group-testing tools (MRPP, PerMANOVA, SumF, Mantel Test, Indicator Species Analysis)

• interpretation, manipulation, and communication of graphs

Current trainings cover procedures available in PC-ORD version 6.  Because later versions of PC-ORD build on previous versions, everything in version 5 will be covered during the training, plus additional features in version 6.  Thus, if you have not updated to version 6, everything will be applicable to you plus there will be some tools demonstrated to which you will not have access on your own computer.

Instructors

Trainings are taught by Dr. JeriLynn Peck, who studied with and worked under the author of the software (Dr. Bruce McCune) at Oregon State University and has been offering workshops since 1997.  Dr. Eric K. Zenner, with a background in applied univariate statistics, sometimes provides additional assistance during workshops.

Fees

Registration fees for most trainings are in the $350-$450 range, with lower fees for students (typically $225) and workshop hosts.  This fee does not include the software or companion book, which must be ordered from the software company.  Payment for the workshop fee is accepted in the form of checks made out to "Penn State" or by credit card.  Certificates of completion are available upon request.

Past Trainings

Over 45 trainings have been held throughout the United States and abroad.  Past workshop hosts have included:

• The University of Kaiserslautern, Germany

• The University of Cape Town, South Africa

• The University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

• National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland

• University of Alaska International Arctic Research Center, Fairbanks, AK

• University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

• University of Massachusetts Cranberry Biological Station, East Wareham, MA

• Antioch New England Graduate School, Keene, NH

• Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, AK

• California State University, Sacramento, CA

• Clemson State University, Clemson, SC

• Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR

• US Geological Survey Utah Water Science Center, Salt Lake City, UT

• US Geological Survey, Flagstaff, AZ

• US Geological Survey, Davis, CA

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Newport, OR

• US Park Service Santa Monica Mountains NRA, Thousand Oaks, CA

• US Park Service, Fairbanks, AK

• US Park Service, Minneapolis, MN

• Western Fisheries Research Center, Seattle, WA

• US Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, CO

• US Forest Service Mt. Hood National Forest, Sandy, OR

• US Forest Service, Davis, CA

• US Forest Service at Research Triangle Park, Raleigh, NC

• Aquatic Ecology Limited, Christchurch, New Zealand

• Missouri Department of Conservation, Columbia, MO

• NatureServe, Blaine, WA

School of Forest Resources

Silviculture Lab Home