Correspondence analytical evaluation of factors that influence soilmacro-arthropod distribution in abandoned grassland

摘要

We analysed field data on the occurrence of woodlice and millipedes in abandoned grassland in southwestern Germany using multivariate ordination statistics to extract information on single environmental factors influencing the distribution of particular species in the field. Different methods (DECORANA, CANOCO) revealed slightly different patterns of ordination, but led to similar conclusions. These conclusions coincide with previously observed ecophysiological requirements of isopods, and confirm the significance of the soil pH for their distribution. Howewer soil pH did not appear to be significant for diplopods. The distribution of diplopod species mainly corresponds with mean annual air temperature. Besides assigning particular species to single study sites that are characterised with respect to environmental factors, we statistically associate a group of three isopod species having similar ecological requirements.