A Fractal Character of the Multidimensional Ecological Niche: Formation in Real Habitats in South Trans Urals

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate whether the distribution pattern of chemical elements in soils is consistent with the stochastic distribution in ecologically equivalent habitats. Secondary literature indicates that the stochastic distribution of chemical elements in soils is widespread. However, there is no evidence of the universality of this soil property. The fractal analysis allows us to make statistically reliable conclusions about the object of the study. We took the content of 21 soil elements from 1 m2 in the combined sample as a single self-similar structure. Besides, we carried out the scaling of individual samples as well as the total cumulative sample. Our study revealed that the distribution of elements in soils has a fractal self-similar nature. Moreover, we defined the self-similarity of the soil description structures as a combination of two characteristics: (1) the concentration of each parameter varies widely; (2) the changes in each element occur independently of the others. In the habitats of individual plants, Glycyrrhiza korshinskyi Grig., conditions are formed with different effects on physiological processes in the roots. The latter means that plants must change adaptation complexes in each habitat. In our case, the fractal analysis results may extend the revealed properties to all ecologically equivalent soils.