Biodiversity Measuring Biodiversity - Mrs. Gamzon's...

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Measuring Biodiversity The Earth is contains a tremendous number of life forms. There are different ways to quantify how biodiverse an ecosystem is. Biodiversity Species Richness: The number of species in a given area. Species Evenness: The measure of whether a particular ecosystem is numerically dominated by one species or are all represented by similar numbers of individuals. Biodiversity High Evenness Low Evenness Identical Richness Measuring Biodiversity Shannon Index Increases as both the richness and the evenness of a community increase. • Makes it difficult to compare communities that differ greatly in richness. Pi = ni/N ni = number of individuals in a given species N = total number of individuals in the community The higher the number the more biodiverse! Measuring Biodiversity Simpson’s Index This index is used to measure the dominance of a community, which is the opposite of evenness. • As D increases, the diversity decreases. Pi = ni/N ni = number of individuals in a given species N = total number of individuals in the community Values are between 0 and 1 with 1 being a monoculture.

Transcript of Biodiversity Measuring Biodiversity - Mrs. Gamzon's...

Measuring Biodiversity

• The Earth is contains a tremendous number of life forms. • There are different ways to quantify how biodiverse

an ecosystem is.

Biodiversity

Species Richness: The number of species in a given area.

Species Evenness: The measure of whether a particular ecosystem is numerically dominated by one species or are all represented by similar numbers of individuals.

Biodiversity

High Evenness Low Evenness

Identical Richness

Measuring Biodiversity

• Shannon Index • Increases as both the richness and the evenness of a

community increase. • Makes it difficult to compare communities that differ

greatly in richness.

Pi = ni/Nni = number of individuals in a given speciesN = total number of individuals in the community

The higher the number the more biodiverse!

Measuring Biodiversity

• Simpson’s Index • This index is used to measure the dominance of a

community, which is the opposite of evenness. • As D increases, the diversity decreases.

Pi = ni/Nni = number of individuals in a given speciesN = total number of individuals in the community

Values are between 0 and 1 with 1 being a monoculture.