How to use Shannon Biodiversity Index to Compared Biodiversity

Shannon Biodiversity Index

A mathematical formula that is used to measure how diverse an ecosystem is. It considers both the number of species (richness) and how evenly individuals are spread across those species (evenness)

Shannon Biodiversity Index Equation

H

Represents the Shannon Biodiversity Index number; higher values indicate greater biodiversity.

E

Represents the evenness of species in a population; higher E values indicate a more even population.

Pi (π)

Represents the proportion of a certain species in a population, calculated as the number of that species divided by the total population.

S

Represents the number of species in a population.

Steps to calculate H

1. Calculate Pi for each species,

2. Calculate natural log (ln) of Pi,

3. Multiply each Pi by its ln,

4. Sum these values,

5. Multiply by -1 to get H.

Natural logarithm (ln)

Mathematical function used in the Shannon Biodiversity Index calculations.

Population biodiversity

The variety and variability of species within a given community or population.

Species richness

The number of different species present in a community.

Evenness

How evenly the individuals are distributed among the different species in a community.