Analysis of community attributes of the macro-benthos of Frierfjord/Langesundfjord at taxonomic levels higher than species

In connection with the GEEP Workshop multivariate and univariate analyses were made of macrobenthic species abundances and biomass from Frierfjord/Langesundfjord, Norway, with the data aggregated to family and phylum levels. For families, there was no loss of information compared with the species analyses, which augurs well for the worldwide application of the techniques and for the improvement of their cost-effectiveness. For phyla, multivariate analyses varied in the degree to which they reproduced species and family configurations depending on whether abundance or biomass was used and on the strength of data transformation, but generally the agreement was surprisingly good. It is suggested that the results of multivariate analyses based on higher taxa may more closely reflect gradients of contamination or stress than those based on species data, the latter being more affected by natural ('nuisance') environmental variables.