Do Changes in the Length of the List of Reference Species Influence the Results of the Average Taxonomic Distinctness?

Do Changes in the Length of the List of Reference Species Influence the Results of the Average Taxonomic Distinctness?

Among the advantages of the index of average taxonomic distinction is that of generating a statistical reference framework to contrast the values observed from simple lists of species. This property is important for environmental monitoring studies, since it does not require control sites or few dis...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Thalassas : revista de ciencias del mar Vol. 38; no. 2; pp. 1013 - 1024
Main Authors: Capetillo-Piñar, Norberto, Rejón, Manuel Zetina, Perera-Valderrama, Susana, Quezada, Arturo Tripp, Callar, Alejandro Bosch, Sáez, José Espinosa, Garcés, Yuliesky
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01-10-2022
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:
Benthos
Coastal Sciences
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Environmental monitoring
Environmental quality
Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management
Freshwater & Marine Ecology
Marine & Freshwater Sciences
Mollusks
Oceanography
Operating costs
Shellfish
Species
Species checklists
Taxonomy
Bivalve mollusks
Taxonomic distinctness
Biodiversity
Environmental monitoring
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Summary:Among the advantages of the index of average taxonomic distinction is that of generating a statistical reference framework to contrast the values observed from simple lists of species. This property is important for environmental monitoring studies, since it does not require control sites or few disturbed sites to know the environmental quality of a locality, which implies a decrease in operating costs and time savings. However, little research has been done on the effect of changes in the length (number of species) of species lists on the result and interpretation of this index. In this study, the effect of different lengths of species lists on this index was analyzed. Three species lists of benthic bivalve mollusks from the Cuban marine shelf were compiled: two local and one national. Our results indicated that changes in the length of the species lists affected the results and the interpretation of the average taxonomic distinctness index. In this sense, for the use of a local or national species list it is important to specify the objective of the research to be carried out. We also found that the combined use of species lists of different lengths can indicate the degree of deterioration of the sites analyzed, which is of vital importance for environmental monitoring studies.
ISSN:0212-5919
2366-1674
DOI:10.1007/s41208-022-00445-1