BishtRef
Articles Journals Publishers Authors Subjects Most Cited New Papers Year Stats Open Access
journal article Feb 24, 2000

Reliability of Ellenberg indicator values for moisture, nitrogen and soil reaction: a comparison with field measurements

André P. Schaffers Karlè V. Sýkora
Journal of Vegetation Science Vol. 11 No. 2 pp. 225-244 · Wiley
View at Publisher Save 10.2307/3236802
Abstract
Abstract. Ellenberg indicator values for moisture, nitrogen and soil reaction were correlated with measured soil and vegetation parameters. Relationships were studied through between‐species and between‐site comparisons, using data from 74 roadside plots in 14 different plant communities in The Netherlands forming a wide range.Ellenberg moisture values correlated best with the average lowest moisture contents in summer. Correlations with the annual average groundwater level and the average spring level were also good. Ellenberg N‐values appeared to be only weakly correlated with soil parameters, including N‐mineralization and available mineral N. Instead, there was a strong relation with biomass production. We therefore endorse Hill & Carey's (1997) suggestion that the term N‐values be replaced by ‘productivity values'. For soil reaction, many species values appeared to need regional adjustment. The relationship with soil pH was unsatisfactory; mean indicator values were similar for all sites at pH > 4.75 because of wide species tolerances for intermediate pH levels. Site mean reaction values correlated best (r up to 0.92) with the total amount of calcium (exchangeable Ca2+ plus Ca from carbonates). It is therefore suggested that reaction values are better referred to as ‘calcium values'.Using abundance values as weights when calculating mean indicator values generally improved the results, but, over the wide range of conditions studied, differences were small. Indicator values for bryophytes appeared well in line with those for vascular plants. It was noted that the frequency distributions of indicator values are quite uneven. This creates a tendency for site mean values to converge to the value most common in the regional species pool. Although the effect on overall correlations is small, relationships tended to be less linear. Uneven distributions also cause the site mean indicator values at which species have their optimum to deviate from the actual Ellenberg values of these species. Suggestions for improvements are made.It is concluded that the Ellenberg indicator system provides a very valuable tool for habitat calibration, provided the appropriate parameters are considered.
Topics

No keywords indexed for this article. Browse by subject →

References
74
[3]
Böcker R. "Untersuchungen zur Anwendung der Zeigerwerte nach Ellenberg" Verh. Ges. …kol. (1983)
[4]
Boller‐Elmer K.C. "Stickstoff‐Düngungseinflüße von Intensiv‐Grünland auf Strue‐ und Moorwiesen" Veršff. Geobot. Inst. Eidg. Techn. Hochsch. Stift. Rÿbel Zÿr. (1977)
[5]
Braun‐Blanquet J. (1928)
[6]
Briemle G. "Vergleich der Stickstoff‐Mineralisation mit der N‐Zahl Ellenberg's am Beispiel einer Streuwiese im Alpenvorland" Nat. Landsch. (1986)
[9]
Degórski M.L. "Usefulness of Ellenberg bioindicators in characterizing plant communities and forest habitats on the basis of data from the range “Grabowy” in Kampinos Forest" Ekol. Pol. (1982)
[11]
Dierschke H. (1994)
[13]
Ellenberg H. "Unkrautgesellschaften als Maß für den Säuregrad, die Verdichtung und andere Eigenschaften des Ackerbodens" Ber. Landtechnik (1948)
[14]
Ellenberg H. "Bodenreaction (einschließlich Kalkfrage)" Handbuch der Pflanzenphysiologie (1958)
[15]
Ellenberg H. "Zeigerwerte von Pflanzen in Mitteleuropa, 2nd ed" Scr. Geobot. (1992)
[17]
Flahault C. (1893)
[18]
Flahault C. (1901)
[19]
Flahault C. "Les progrès de la géographie botanique depuis 1884, son état actuel, ses problèmes" Progressus Rei Botanicae (1907)
[26]
Houba V.J.G. (1994)
[27]
Houba V.J.G. (1995)
[29]
Jurko A. "Ökologische Indikationswerte der Pflanzengesellschaften der Ostslowakischen Tiefebene" Ekol—gia (CSSR) (1984)
[34]
Margadant W.D. (1982)
[35]
Melman C.P. "The testing of three indicator systems for trophic state in grasslands" Vegetatio (1988) 10.1007/bf00045627
[36]
Möller H. "Zur Verwendung des Medians bei Zeigerwertberechnungen nach Ellenberg" Tuexenia (1992)
[37]
Möller H. "Reactions‐ und Stickstoffzahlen nach Ellenberg als Indikatoren für die Humusform in terrestrischen Waldökosystemen im Raum Hannover" Tuexenia (1997)
[47]
Rodenkirchen H. "Wirkungen von Meliorationsmaßnahmen auf die Bodenvegetation eines ehemahls streugenutzten Kiefernstandortes in der Oberpfalz" Forstl. Forschungsber. Mÿnchen (1982)
[48]
Roo‐Zielińska E. "Phytosociological typology and bioindicator values of plant communities, as exemplified by meadows in the Nina valley, Southern Poland" Doc. Phytosociol. (1988)
[50]
Schaminée J.H.J. (1995)

Showing 50 of 74 references

Cited By
495
Experience with using Ellenberg’s R indicator values in Slovakia: Oligotrophic and mesotrophic submontane broad-leaved forests

Juraj Balkovic, Jozef Kollar · 2012

Biologia
Metrics
495
Citations
74
References
Details
Published
Feb 24, 2000
Vol/Issue
11(2)
Pages
225-244
License
View
Authors
A
André P. Schaffers
K
Karlè V. Sýkora
Cite This Article
André P. Schaffers, Karlè V. Sýkora (2000). Reliability of Ellenberg indicator values for moisture, nitrogen and soil reaction: a comparison with field measurements. Journal of Vegetation Science, 11(2), 225-244. https://doi.org/10.2307/3236802
Related

You May Also Like

VEGAN, a package of R functions for community ecology

Philip Dixon · 2003

5,909 citations

Assembly and response rules: two goals for predictive community ecology

Paul A. Keddy · 1992

1,674 citations

Rao's quadratic entropy as a measure of functional diversity based on multiple traits

Zoltán Botta‐Dukát · 2005

1,033 citations

JUICE, software for vegetation classification

Lubomír Tichý · 2002

1,027 citations

TURBOVEG, a comprehensive data base management system for vegetation data

Stephan M. Hennekens, Joop H.J. Schaminée · 2001

721 citations