Log-normal distribution of species abundances is not a universal indicator of rain forest disturbance.
Abstract
The fit to log-normal distribution of species abundances of grasshoppers (Acridoidea), ladybird beetles (Coccinellidae), tortoise beetles (Cassidinae) and dung beetles (mainly Scarabaeidae) and forest floor vegetation in unlogged and selectively felled sites in Kibale Forest, western Uganda (15-20 years after logging) was analysed. It was shown that the fit to log-normal distribution cannot be used as a straightforward universal indicator of rainforest disturbance.