[PRIMER-E] How to include categorical variables in BEST routine?

[AstridHz]

SOLVED - [PRIMER-E] How to include categorical variables in BEST routine?

Hello,

I would like to use the BEST routine in Primer to determine which abiotic variables, individual or combined, best explains the pattern present in my biological data. One of my abiotic variables - substratum type - is categorical and based on letter combinations. Is there somehow a way of integrating this variable into BEST?

Your help and advice will be much appreciated!

Best wishes,
Astrid

 

[bugman]

Yep. Input as "1-5" and use the gower distance measure.
Edit - use Gower if you have a mixture of continous, disctrete or categoricla variables. If they are as you descirbe use Euclidean.

 

[AstridHz]

Fantastic - thanks a lot for your help !