Thank you Greg for your comments.
Here is a (very) simple example of what my data might look like:
res <- matrix(sample(20:25, 41*12, replace=T), nrow=12, ncol=41,
dimnames=list(c(paste("sp",1:12)), c(seq(0, 200, by=5))))
barplot(res, space=0, legend.text=T, beside=F, col=c("white","grey50"),
border=NA)
barplot(res, space=0, beside=F, angle=seq(0, 180, by=45), density=30,
col="black", border=NA, xlab="time", ylab="biomass (t/ha)", add=T)
I have 3 replicates of the data for 2 sites that all have small but
important differences. I would like to show them on a panel with 3
columns and 2 rows. This is why I thought using stacked area charts as
they would let you easily compare between the 3 replicates.
thank you very much for your help
Markus
Greg Snow wrote:
> I would question if a stacked area chart is really the best way to display
> information on 12 groups. You can put a lot of information into the plot,
> but the viewer will probably experience information overload and not be able
> to get much useful information out of the plot. Stacked area plots rely on
> people being able to compare areas and lengths, which we don't do as well as
> we compare positions in a graph. If your viewer is needing to go back and
> forth between the legend and the graph, then the information will be harder
> to assimilate. It may be better to use lattice/trellis graphs and plot each
> line in its own panel (on the same scale and possibly with a light background
> grid to make comparison easier). If there are specific comparisons that you
> want to point out, then make a separate graph with just those comparisons
> leaving out the extra information that will just distract.
>
> If you give us a better idea of what information you are trying to convey, we
> may be able to give you some better options for graphs to use.
>
> If you really want to go the pattern route then you may want to look at the
> discussion from october that started with:
> http://finzi.psych.upenn.edu/R/Rhelp02a/archive/111226.html and/or the
> discussion from earlier this week started by yaosheng CHEN with the subject
> "How to fill bar plot with textile rather than color".
>
> Hope this helps,
>
--
Markus Didion
Waldökologie Forest Ecology
Inst. f. Terrestrische Oekosysteme Inst. of Terrestrial Ecosystems
Departement Umweltwissenschaften Dept. of Environmental Sciences
Eidg. Technische Hochschule Swiss Fed. Inst. of Technology
ETH-Zentrum CHN G78 ETH-Zentrum CHN G78
Universitätstr. 22 Universitaetstr. 22
CH-8092 Zürich CH-8092 Zurich
Schweiz Switzerland
Tel +41 (0)44 632 5629 Fax +41 (0)44 632 1358
Email [EMAIL PROTECTED]
homepage: http://www.fe.ethz.ch/people/didionm
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