Indicator species
From Coastal Wiki
Definition of Indicator species:
A species whose presence or absence indicates a certain environmental condition or a particular community or habitat.
This is the common definition for Indicator species, other definitions can be discussed in the article
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Examples
- Greasewood indicates saline soil;
- Mosses often indicate acid soil;
- Tubifex worms indicate oxygen-poor and stagnant water unfit to drink;
- Ammophila arenaria requires blown sand to thrive and will begin to die back if sheltered from further accommodation. Thus it is a good indicator of sediment supply to the dune system[1].
[Beware: A. arenaria also occurs on retreating coasts.]
Related articles
- Seagrass recovery and restoration in the Wadden Sea
- Common starfish can act as a bioindicator for heavy metal pollution
- Harbour porpoise in the Belgian part of the North Sea
References
- Jump up ↑ UK Government 2004. Common Standards Monitoring Guidance for Sand dune Habitats. http://data.jncc.gov.uk/data/7607ac0b-f3d9-4660-9dda-0e538334ed86/CSM-SandDuneHabitats-2004.pdf
