..................................................................................................................................................... ii List of Tables................................................................................................................................................iv List of Figures ...............................................................................................................................................v Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................................vi Chapter 1. General Introduction Spatial Patterns of Vegetation Development ..................................................................2 Are Native and Exotic Species Ecologically Different? ................................................3 Thesis Structure ..............................................................................................................3 References............................................................................................................................4 Chapter 2. Description and Classification of Plant Associations in Sand Beaches of the West Coast of Vancouver Island Introduction..........................................................................................................................7 Methods ...............................................................................................................................8 Study Area ......................................................................................................................8 Field Sampling................................................................................................................9 Data Analyses ...............................................................................................................13 Results ...............................................................................................................................15 Discussion..........................................................................................................................24 References..........................................................................................................................29 Chapter 3. Spatial Patterns of Native and Exotic Plant Richness in Sand Beaches Introduction........................................................................................................................33 Methods .............................................................................................................................35 Plant Species Richness and Plant Cover.......................................................................35 Environmental Variables ..............................................................................................36 Seedling Experiment.....................................................................................................37 Statistical and Comparative Analyses ..........................................................................37 Results ...............................................................................................................................39 Discussion..........................................................................................................................48 Management Implications ............................................................................................52 References..........................................................................................................................53 Chapter 4. Do Native and Exotic Plants Have Different Distribution–Abundance Relationships in Regional Patch Networks? Introduction........................................................................................................................59 Methods .............................................................................................................................60 Summary of Datasets....................................................................................................60 Regional Distribution: Patches and Patch Occupancy..................................................62 Local Abundance..........................................................................................................63 Statistical Analyses.......................................................................................................64 Results ...............................................................................................................................65 Discussion..........................................................................................................................71 Management Implications ............................................................................................72 References..........................................................................................................................75