Methodology for the identification and analysis of species associations in biological communities using statistical distributions

Abstract

A methodology for identifying pairs of mutually associated and mutually incompatible species pairs based on qualitative ecological data in the species-samples format is described. Statistical criteria for assessing the direction and strength of species associations using discrete hypergeometric and binomial distributions are provided. Additionally, there are proposed methods for visualising selected associations using undirected graphs, combining associated species into groups, and analysing them. An open access web application implementing the described methodology is also presented. The methodology is illustrated with data on 37 alien macrozoobenthic species from 255 samples collected in the Volga River reservoirs.