The use of regression equations for estimation of arthropod biomass in ecological studies

摘要

The aim of this work is to analyse the use and applicability of different series of equations published for estimating biomass from length data in Arthropoda. A set of length-weight regression equations was developed for 53 groups of arthropods, as well as general equations for Arthropoda and Hexapoda, from a collection carried out in an arid zone of southeastern Spain. The significance of regression equations performed was generally very high, as well as ii'2 values, giving to these equations a high predictive capacity. From the same collection, a sample was selected to test the applicability of the different equation series published by other authors. Although there were no significant differences between the equations, results in crude estimation both of overall biomass and their distribution among the taxonomic groups present in the sample showed strong variations. These variations can strongly bias studies in which biomass is the main variable, such as those focused on availability, energetics and macroecology. Comparison among available equations suggests that these must be applied with caution and after testing the different applicabilities of available references. The use of specific equations is recommended over general equations, as well as the compiling of more new equation series.