Biodiversity indices

Biodiversity Indices

Tools used to measure and interpret the diversity within an ecological community, offering insights into ecosystem health.

Abundance

The total number of individuals of all species in a given area.

Relative Abundance

The proportion of each species relative to the total number of individuals in a community.

Density

The number of individuals per unit area in a specified region.

Relative Density

The proportion of each species' density to the total density of all species.

Frequency

The number of times a species is found in sampled plots.

Relative Frequency

The proportion of each species frequency relative to the total frequency of all species.

Importance Value (IV)

A weighted measure combining density, frequency, and dominance of species.

Species Richness

The total number of different species in a given area.

Evenness

A measure of how similar the abundance of different species/categories are in a community.

Simpson's Index (D)

Measures the probability that two individuals randomly selected from a sample will belong to the same species.

Shannon Index (H)

A diversity index that accounts for both abundance and evenness of the species present in a community.

Ecological Community

A group of interacting species living in the same area.

Ecosystem

A biological community and its physical environment interacting as a system.

Diversity

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Habitat

The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

Niche

The role or function of an organism or species within an ecosystem, including its habitat, resource use, and relationships with other organisms.

Trophic Level

A position in a food web or food chain defined by the number of energy transfer steps from primary producers.

Keystone Species

A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance.

Invasive Species

A non-native species that spread widely in a new habitat, often causing harm to ecosystems.

Biomass

The total mass of living matter within a given area, often used as a measure of energy in an ecosystem.

Conservation

The sustainable management of a natural resource to protect it from depletion or degradation.