Methodological Aspects of Using Indicator Values in Biodiversity Analysis
A. A. Zverev
Abstract
Indicator values are becoming an increasingly popular tool in basic and applied botanical research: more than 55 original phytoindication systems, including about 200 optimal and range scales for various environmental factors, are known. This paper describes seven methods for calculating the phytoindication optimum of a taxonomical list: averaging with weighting by indicators of the taxon’s participation (cover, frequency, and activity) and the degree of ecological tolerance amplitude breadth. Optimum and interval indices of ecological consensus are proposed for a quantitative assessment of the level of ecological homogeneity of plant communities and floras. The distinguishing ability of the described methods of environmental calculation and consensus indices were critically compared and assessed in the environmental analysis module of the IBIS 7.2 botanical information system using data from Bashkiria and the Southern Urals at the level of phytocoenoses assigned to four communities and their coenofloras. The possible fields of further use of the results in phytocoenology and floristics are described.