Abstract
ABSTRACT Ecological studies of the highly diverse groups of organisms, such as algae, can be particularly prone to taxonomic opinion bias. There is mounting pressure to recognize and report this bias across studies to facilitate reproducible science and data re-use; however, there are fewer studies which link taxonomic bias to loss of precision in modelling community responses or in bioassessments. We use long-term phytoplankton monitoring data to evaluate effects of taxonomic bias on relevant ecological metrics including algal biovolume, cell counts, diversity, and the performance of a species-based weighted-averaging model for inferring phosphorus concentrations. Despite the non-zero taxonomic bias between paired original and quality assurance samples, several important indicators derived from these data, including model-inferred phosphorus concentrations, total algal biovolume and cell density, and diversity were mostly unaffected. We discuss this as an example of using ecologically relevant model performance criteria for making recommendations about the acceptable level of taxonomic bias.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.