EIV in zoological research: an example of mollusc assemblages along a moisture gradient from fens to grasslands
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| Year of publication | 2010 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | Ellenberg indicator values (EIV) are used in vegetation analyses as environmental variables derived from plant species data. We tested whether EIV can be used as a predictor of mollusc species composition and compared the level of prediction with directly measured variables. We analysed vegetation and molluscan data of 9 transects stretching from the wet spring fens to the surrounding dry grasslands in the White Carpathian Mts. We sampled 60 plots in total, each of size 0.56 m2. We directly measured soil moisture, pH, calcium content, organic carbon amount, biomass production, and chemical composition of plant biomass. Our results confirmed that EIV for moisture is a very good predictor of mollusc species composition. This variable explained more variation in mollusc species data then directly measured soil moisture. Our study shows that EIV are not only useful tool for vegetation science, but can also provide easily available estimates of relevant ecological factors for zoological research. |
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