Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient
Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rs) tests whether there is a significant correlation between two variables, for example light intensity and the percentage cover of a plant along a transect. It can be used with data that are not normally distributed. You need at least 5 pairs of data, ideally 10 or more.
rs = 1 − (6Σd2) ÷ (n(n2 − 1))
where d is the difference between the ranks of each pair and n is the number of pairs.
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More in The Nature of Ecosystems
- Quadrats
- ACFOR Scale
- Point Quadrats
- Permanent Quadrats
- Transects
- More Ecological Techniques
- Hypothesis Testing
- Student's t-Test
All 39 lessons in The Nature of Ecosystems · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics