Objective Selection of Sensitive Species Indicative of Pollution-Induced Change in Benthic Communities. I. Comparative Methodology

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Abstract
Isolation of groups of species indicative of pollution-induced effects on benthic communities has been based on subjective ecological expertise. A review of more general methods covering the use of diversity indices, computer-based multivariate analyses was given. There were many drawbacks with these methods, and their objectivity was questioned. Using a modification of the log-normal distribution of individuals among species, a new method was proposed which could be used to isolate objectively groups of species sensitive to pollution effects. An example was drawn from a time-series study on effects of organic enrichment on a soft-sediment community. The method had a sound theoretical base, was simple to plot, utilized all data on individuals and species in a community and identified groups of species that could be used in reduced scale monitoring programs.