Table 4. LSmeans (± SE) of the calculated beta diversity index (Whittaker) of the two feeding groups in relation to the different regions of the gastrointestinal tract.

compared GIT regions	CON	JAM	p value
PN—PG	0.273 ± 0.073	0.302 ± 0.049	0.7427
PN—SI	0.469 ± 0.038	0.387 ± 0.093	0.4381
PN—CAE	0.626 ± 0.058	0.661 ± 0.075	0.7247
PN—CV	0.616 ± 0.066	0.618 ± 0.042	0.9845
PN—CD	0.568 ± 0.081	0.681 ± 0.062	0.2998
PN—CT	0.620 ± 0.101	0.698 ± 0.043	0.4927
PG—SI	0.425 ± 0.034	0.454 ± 0.069	0.7077
PG—CAE	0.677 ± 0.031	0.670 ± 0.044	0.8915
PG—CV	0.674 ± 0.018	0.641 ± 0.021	0.2628
PG—CD	0.644 ± 0.056	0.708 ± 0.038	0.3565
PG—CT	0.720 ± 0.017	0.711 ± 0.039	0.8442
SI—CAE	0.667 ± 0.019	0.653 ± 0.022	0.6494
SI—CV	0.671 ± 0.012	0.596 ± 0.047	0.1275
SI—CD	0.672 ± 0.038	0.674 ± 0.036	0.9817
SI—CT	0.688 ± 0.023	0.695 ± 0.039	0.8756
CAE—CV	0.195 ± 0.047	0.238 ± 0.055	0.5863
CAE—CD	0.218 ± 0.047	0.233 ± 0.054	0.8374
CAE—CT	0.324 ± 0.019	0.313 ± 0.027	0.7361
CV—CD	0.274 ± 0.055	0.237 ± 0.027	0.5542
CV—CT	0.274 ± 0.028	0.305 ± 0.025	0.4339
CD—CT	0.283 ± 0.050	0.234 ± 0.038	0.4547

The following GIT regions were examined: CAE (caecum), CD (colon dorsale), CT (colon transversum), CV (colon ventrale), PG (pars glandularis) PN (pars nonglandularis) and SI (small intestine) in the CON (placebo group fed with maize cob meal without grains) and in the JAM group (Jerusalem artichoke meal). Each part of the GIT was compared with the other parts of the GIT. The p value refers to the differences of means within the individual parts of the gut.