| Abstract: | Ordination of forest ecosystems using element concentrations of the solution phase and soil chemical depth gradients Using data sets from 16 forest ecosystems the possibilities of an ordination procedure with respect to matter budget parameters are demonstrated. Principal component analysis was selected as method of ordination. Ordinations were carried out separately for (i) depth gradients of base saturation, for (ii) average element concentrations in the soil solution at two different depths, and (iii) for element concentrations in the bulk deposition and the throughfall. In the majority of cases the procedure yields plausible and interpretable arrangements of the ecosystems along the first and the second principal component axes. These two components contain over 80 percent of the total variance in the datasets. Compared to other methods of ecosystem characterization the ordination procedure is advantageous concerning practicability and objectivity. It is suggested to apply the method to a larger set of forest ecosystems with the aim of grouping the systems according to their individual states. An additional application is the analysis of temporal changes as attempted in ecosystem monitoring. |
