Przegląd Geograficzny (2015) vol. 87, iss. 3
Comparison of European scales of ecological indicator values in the evaluation of a natural environment based on characteristic species of sandy, xeric grasslands of Koelerio glaucae-Corynephoretea canescentis class
Przegląd Geograficzny (2015) vol. 87, iss. 3, pp. 409-438 | 
Full text
doi: https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2015.3.1
Abstract
Comparative analysis was performed in relation to the scales of ecological indicator values for plant species proposed by: (1) Ellenberg, for the flora of Germany, (2) Landolt for the flora of Switzerland and (3) Zarzycki for the flora of Poland – in relation to six environmental features classed as either “climatic”: light intensity [L], temperature [T] or continentality [K] or soil-related (edaphic), i.e. moisture [F], acidity [R] and nitrogen content [N]. Species characteristic of sandy xeric grasslands from Koelerio glaucaeCorynephoretea canescentis class were used as a ”tool” in the comparison. Numbers of species differ – from 55 to 62 - depending on environmental features and the compared scales. However, it was assumed that pairs of ecological scales were similar if the percentage share of species was above 50% in corresponding points on scales. The main aim of the analysis was to assess whether compared scales originating from different parts of Central Europe are similar (or different) in their ecological diagnosis as regards climatic and edaphic conditions, where each feature of the geographical environment is expressed in relation to three indicator values deriving from the three scales. The interpretation of results was based around two opposing hypotheses: that the scales compared are similar, with particular points along them conforming to the same ranges of actual measurements, while differences concern the assessment of the requirements of the species as indicators of environmental conditions; or that the scales are different (most often shifted by one degree), while the ecological requirements of the species are similar. The analysis of histograms of frequency for the particular species categories shows that examples supporting the fi rst of the two hypotheses are constituted by the pairs of scales for: (1) light intensity [L] of Ellenberg and Zarzycki, (2) temperature [T] of Ellenberg and Zarzycki; (3) soil moisture [F] of Ellenberg and Zarzycki; (4) nitrogen content in the soil [N] of Ellenberg and Landolt. In terms of the second hypothesis the distribution of frequencies of the species categories in the histograms allows for the explanation of the differences (shifts) within the compared pairs of scales concerning: (1) light [L] as expressed by Landolt or Zarzycki values; (2) continentality [K] of Ellenberg and Zarzycki; (3) soil moisture [F] of Ellenbeg and Landolt; (4) soil moisture of Landolt and Zarzycki; (5) soil acidity of Landolt and Zarzycki; (5) nitrogen content in the soil [N] of Ellenberg and Zarzycki. It is worth noting that similar results for analysis were obtained when the same ecological scales of indicator values were compared by reference to species from meadows of Molinio-Arrhenathereta class (Roo-Zielinska, 2004), deciduous forest of Querco-Fagetea class (Roo-Zielińska 2009) and xerothermic grasslands of Festuco-Brometea class (RooZielińska, 2012). This means that a total of around 380 species (of meadow, deciduous forest, xerothermic and sandy xeric grassland) have now been evaluated, though admittedly this is still only about 20% of K. Zarzycki’s list of Polish flora (Zarzycki et al., 2002). Nevertheless, the ecological spectra and tolerances found for the four groups are very different, with results obtained suggesting the need to continue with the comparative analysis of European ecological scales for groups of species characteristic of different phytosociological units/associations, with appropriate ecological indicator values for Polish flora and plant communities being found in the process.
Keywords: ekologiczne skale liczb wskaźnikowych, ubogie murawy napiaskowe, charakterystyczne gatunki roślin, środowisko fizycznogeograficzne, cechy klimatyczne, właściwości gleb
[e.roo@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00‑818 Warszawa, Poland
Citation
APA: Roo-Zielińska, E. (2015). Porównanie europejskich skal ekologicznych liczb wskaźnikowych w ocenie środowiska fizycznogeograficznego na podstawie charakterystycznych gatunków roślin muraw napiaskowych z klasy Koelerio glaucae-Corynephoretea canescentis. Przegląd Geograficzny, 87(3), 409-438. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2015.3.1
MLA: Roo-Zielińska, Ewa. "Porównanie europejskich skal ekologicznych liczb wskaźnikowych w ocenie środowiska fizycznogeograficznego na podstawie charakterystycznych gatunków roślin muraw napiaskowych z klasy Koelerio glaucae-Corynephoretea canescentis". Przegląd Geograficzny, vol. 87, no. 3, 2015, pp. 409-438. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2015.3.1
Chicago: Roo-Zielińska, Ewa. "Porównanie europejskich skal ekologicznych liczb wskaźnikowych w ocenie środowiska fizycznogeograficznego na podstawie charakterystycznych gatunków roślin muraw napiaskowych z klasy Koelerio glaucae-Corynephoretea canescentis". Przegląd Geograficzny 87, no. 3 (2015): 409-438. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2015.3.1
Harvard: Roo-Zielińska, E. 2015. "Porównanie europejskich skal ekologicznych liczb wskaźnikowych w ocenie środowiska fizycznogeograficznego na podstawie charakterystycznych gatunków roślin muraw napiaskowych z klasy Koelerio glaucae-Corynephoretea canescentis". Przegląd Geograficzny, vol. 87, no. 3, pp. 409-438. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2015.3.1