CLUSTER ANALYSIS OF ALGAL COMMUNITIES OF SOME SELECTED SOIL TYPES OF MADHYA PRADESH

Cluster analysis was done through four methods: Single linkage, complete linkage, average linkage and weighted average linkage in order to determine the relationshipe of algal communities found to occur in fifteen localities of Madhya Pradesh occurring in some selected soil types. The localities have been divided into three categories cultivated, uncultivaked and garden soils of Gwalior, Bhopal, Rewa, Jabalpur and Pachmarhi. It has been found that soil algal communities are dependent upon the nature of soil. Thus three distinct clusters are formed, one for cultivated, other for uncultivated and the third for garden soils. Dendrograms reveal that close linkages occur between cultivated fields at all the five areas studied. However it is interesting to note clustering of uncultivated soils of Pachmarhi with those of the garden soils of other areas of study. This may be due to migrating human populations.