Construction of guilds for habitat assessment

This article outlines a procedure for developing guilds for use in habitat assessment studies. It is based on a matrix constructed around layers of vegetation and other physical features of the environment used by vertebrate species for feeding and breeding. Modifications to permit inclusion of other life requirements such as cover are discussed. Examples are used to illustrate how species are assigned to guild cells based on their use of habitat, and how the association between a species and its environment does not have to be direct to influence the species' placement within the matrix.