Indicator species
- Indicator species
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Species that indicates the characteristics of the environmental conditions, such as serpentine.
- Indicator plant
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Plant species used as indicator species.
Plants can not move greatly except when they are seeds (and pollens). Therefore, each plant establishes in a respective soil type, topography and climate, and generally indicates the environments better than animals.exotic species - indicates urbanization
Hypochaeris radicata Plantago lanceorata Lamium purpureum Phragmites australis - indicates wet habitat
Drosera rotundifolia - indicates nutrient-poor habitat - Bioindicator
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Plant, animal or chemicals used to monitor an environment and/or ecosystem
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Quiz
- The indicator species concept can be extended to higher taxa. In general, what might each of these taxa indicate in our region: Orchidaceae; Asteraceae; Poaceae; Carex; Vaccinium, shrub Rosaceae; Ericaceae. For each group, name a species that is an exception to the general rule.
- For each of conditions listed, list several excellent indicators for low, medium and high levels of the condition: soil moisture, soil pH, salinity, grazing, trampling, nutrients, light, fire, and bioclimatic zone. List other conditions that could be inferred from species present on a site.