Przegląd Geograficzny (2018) vol. 90, iss. 3
A comparison of European scales of ecological indicator values in assessing the natural environment on the basis of species characteristic for heaths and poor grasslands of class Nardo‑Callunetea
Przegląd Geograficzny (2018) vol. 90, iss. 3, pp. 403-434 | 
Full text
doi: https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2018.3.2
Abstract
Comparative analysis was performed in relation to the ecological scales of 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, i.e. the climatic features of light intensity [L], temperature [T] and continentality [K], and the edaphic features of moisture [F], acidity [R] and nitrogen content [N]. Characteristic species of heaths and poor grasslands from class Nardo-Callunetea were used asthe” tool” in the above comparison. Numbers of species involved ranged from 28 to 53, depending on the environmental features and compared scales involved. The assumption was that pairs of ecological scales were similar where the percentage share of species is above 50% in corresponding numbers along the scales. The main aim of the analysis was in turn to determine if compared scales originating from different parts of central Europe were similar (or distinct) in their ecological (climatic and edaphic) diagnoses, as expressed in terms of three indicator values (corresponding to three scales) for each relevant feature of the geographical environment. Results obtained were interpreted by reference to two opposing hypotheses. The first assumes that the scales compared are similar, with particular numbers along the scales conforming to the same ranges of actual measurements, while differences concern the assessment of the requirements of the species as indicators of environmental conditions. The second, alternative hypothesis assumes that the scales are different (most often shifted by one degree), while the ecological requirements of the species are similar. Analysis of histograms for frequencies of particular species categories shows that examples sustaining the first of the two hypotheses are provided by the pairs of scales of: (1) temperature [T] of Ellenberg and Landolt; (2) continentality (K) of Landolt and Zarzycki, (3) soil moisture [F] of Ellenberg and Zarzycki; (4) nitrogen content in the soil [N] of Ellenberg and Landolt. In relation to the second hypothesis, the distribution of frequencies of the species categories in the histograms allows for the explanation of differences (in terms of shifts) within the following pairs of scales compared: (1) temperature [T] of Landolt and Zarzycki; (2) soil moisture [F] of Landolt and Zarzycki; (3) soil moisture of Landolt and Zarzycki; (4) soil acidity of Landolt and Zarzycki; (5) nitrogen content in the soil [N] of Ellenberg and Zarzycki. It is worth noting that a similar analysis was achieved when the same ecological scales of indicator values were compared by reference to meadow species from class Molinio-Arrhenathereta (Roo-Zielinska, 2004), deciduous forest of class Querco-Fagetea (Roo-Zielińska, 2009), xerothermic grasslands of class Festuco-Brometea (Roo-Zielińska, 2012) and sandy xeric grasslands of class Koelerio glaucae-Corynephoretea canescentis class (Roo-Zielińska, 2015). This means that a total of some 460 species (of meadows, deciduous forests, xerothermic and sandy xeric grasslands, and heaths and poor grasslands) have now been evaluated. While this still only represents some 23% of K Zarzycki’s list of the Polish flora (Zarzycki et al., 2002), very different ecological spectra and tolerance in the five groups have not precluded the highlighting of certain regularities applying to the plant communities already studied. The results obtained point to the need for comparative analysis of European ecological scales for groups of characteristic species belonging to different phytosociological units/associations to be continued with, with ecological indicator values appropriate to Poland’s flora and plant communities then being found.
Keywords: skale ekologicznych liczb wskaźnikowych, wrzosowiska, ubogie murawy bliźniczkowe, charakterystyczne gatunki roślin, środowisko fizycznogeograficzne
[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. (2018). Porównanie europejskich skal ekologicznych liczb wskaźnikowych w ocenie środowiska fizycznogeograficznego na podstawie charakterystycznych gatunków roślin wrzosowisk i ubogich muraw bliźniczkowych z klasy Nardo‑Callunetea. Przegląd Geograficzny, 90(3), 403-434. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2018.3.2
MLA: Roo-Zielińska, Ewa. "Porównanie europejskich skal ekologicznych liczb wskaźnikowych w ocenie środowiska fizycznogeograficznego na podstawie charakterystycznych gatunków roślin wrzosowisk i ubogich muraw bliźniczkowych z klasy Nardo‑Callunetea". Przegląd Geograficzny, vol. 90, no. 3, 2018, pp. 403-434. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2018.3.2
Chicago: Roo-Zielińska, Ewa. "Porównanie europejskich skal ekologicznych liczb wskaźnikowych w ocenie środowiska fizycznogeograficznego na podstawie charakterystycznych gatunków roślin wrzosowisk i ubogich muraw bliźniczkowych z klasy Nardo‑Callunetea". Przegląd Geograficzny 90, no. 3 (2018): 403-434. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2018.3.2
Harvard: Roo-Zielińska, E. 2018. "Porównanie europejskich skal ekologicznych liczb wskaźnikowych w ocenie środowiska fizycznogeograficznego na podstawie charakterystycznych gatunków roślin wrzosowisk i ubogich muraw bliźniczkowych z klasy Nardo‑Callunetea". Przegląd Geograficzny, vol. 90, no. 3, pp. 403-434. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2018.3.2