Biodiversity

Average Size
Measure all trees in a transect or quadrat.
Produce a size-frequency histogram to show
the size distribution.
Can also calculate the average size tree.

Quadrat Sampling
Quadrat
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2

Species
BoxElder
Button Bush
Chinese Tallow
Cottonwood
Maple
Willow
BoxElder
Button Bush
Chinese Tallow
Cottonwood
Maple
Willow

No.
0
2
1
9
0
62
4
0
0
1
2
60

Randomly select plots

and count all
individuals in that plot.
Each quadrat = 200m2.

Can calculate density

as #/m2 then multiply
by total area to
estimate the total # of
trees.
60,703 m2 = 15 acres

Transect Sample
Transect
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3

Species
BoxElder
Cottonwood
Maple
Willow
BoxElder
Cottonwood
Maple
Willow
BoxElder
Cottonwood
Maple
Willow

No.
1
1
2
27
2
1
0
37
2
4
0
44

Randomly select a
transect of known area
and count every tree in
that transect.

Each transect = 90m2.

Can calculate density
for each tree species.
60,703 m2 = 15 acres

Measuring Biodiversity
The simplest measure of biodiversity is the
number of species called species richness.
Usually only count resident species, and not accidental
or temporary immigrants

Another concept of species diversity is

heterogeneity:
Community 1 Community 2
Species A

99

50

Species B

50

Heterogeneity is higher in a community where

there are more species and when the species are
more equally abundant.

Diversity Indices
A mathematical measure of species diversity
in a community.
Reveals important information regarding
rarity and commonness of species in a
community.

Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index (H)

H = - pi(lnpi) Larger H = more diversity
Variables associated with the Shannon-Weiner
Diversity index:
S total number of species in the community
(richness)
pi proportion of S made up of the ith species
Hmax = ln(S)
EH equitability (evenness; b/t 0 and 1) = H / Hmax
Species
1
2
3
4
1.386294

#
12
562
8
1
583

pi
0.020583
0.963979
0.013722
0.001715

ln(pi )
(pi )(lnpi )
-3.88328 -0.07993
-0.03669 -0.03536
-4.28875 -0.05885
-6.36819 -0.01092
-0.18507
H= 0.18507
E = 0.18507/1.386297 =

0.1335

#
12
12
12
12
48

pi
0.25
0.25
0.25
0.25

ln(pi 2)
-1.38629
-1.38629
-1.38629
-1.38629

-0.34657
Species Richness =
4
-0.34657 ln (species richness) = Hmax = 1.386294
-0.34657
H = - (sum of (pi)(lnpi)) = 1.38629
-0.34657
E = H/Hmax 0.999997
-1.38629

#
pi
12
0.05
12
0.05
12
0.05
12
0.05
12
0.05
12
0.05
12
0.05
12
0.05
12
0.05
12
0.05
12
0.05
12
0.05
12
0.05
12
0.05
12
0.05
12
0.05
12
0.05
Species Richness =
4
12
0.05
ln (species richness) = Hmax = 1.386294
12
0.05
H = - (sum of (pi)(lnpi)) = 0.69881
12
0.05
E = H/Hmax 0.504085
240
Species Richness =
20
ln (species richness) = Hmax = 2.995732
H = - (sum of (pi)(lnpi)) = 2.99573
E = H/Hmax 0.999999

Species richness and equitability

affect the Shannon Wiener index.

#
3
38
1
6
48

pi
ln(pi 2)
0.0625
-2.77259
0.791667 -0.23361
0.020833 -3.8712
0.125
-2.07944

-0.17329
-0.18495
-0.08065
-0.25993
-0.69881

Species
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

ln(pi 2)
-2.99573
-2.99573
-2.99573
-2.99573
-2.99573
-2.99573
-2.99573
-2.99573
-2.99573
-2.99573
-2.99573
-2.99573
-2.99573
-2.99573
-2.99573
-2.99573
-2.99573
-2.99573
-2.99573
-2.99573

-0.14979
-0.14979
-0.14979
-0.14979
-0.14979
-0.14979
-0.14979
-0.14979
-0.14979
-0.14979
-0.14979
-0.14979
-0.14979
-0.14979
-0.14979
-0.14979
-0.14979
-0.14979
-0.14979
-0.14979
-2.99573

Simpsons Index
D = 1 - pi2 ranges from 0 to 1
N = total number of individuals
pi = proportion of each species
Simpsons Index of Diversity = 1 D
Ranges from 0 to 1 Low to high diversity

Species
1
2
3
4

#
12
12
12
12
48

pi
0.25
0.25
0.25
0.25

pi 2
0.0625
0.0625
0.0625
0.0625
0.25

D=
1-D =

0.25
0.75

Species
1
2
3
4

#
12
12
12
12
48

pi
0.25
0.25
0.25
0.25

pi
0.0625
0.0625
0.0625
0.0625
0.25

D=
1-D =

0.25
0.75

Species richness and equitability

affect Simpsons index.

Species
1
2
3
4

#
3
38
1
6
48

pi
0.0625
0.791667
0.020833
0.125

pi 2
0.003906
0.626736
0.000434
0.015625
0.646701

D = 0.646701
1-D = 0.353299

Species
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

#
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
240
D=
1-D =

pi
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.95

pi 2
0.0025
0.0025
0.0025
0.0025
0.0025
0.0025
0.0025
0.0025
0.0025
0.0025
0.0025
0.0025
0.0025
0.0025
0.0025
0.0025
0.0025
0.0025
0.0025
0.0025
0.05