4.1.2 Measuring Biodiversity

• What does biodiversity encompass?

  Variety of life
• Species diversity maintains ecosystem stability and resilience.
• What does ecosystem diversity support?

  Ecosystem functions and services
• High biodiversity ensures ecosystems can withstand disturbances and maintain balance.
• What are examples of ecosystem services provided by biodiversity?

  Clean air and water
• Biodiversity supports food production, medicines, and recreational opportunities
• What are the two key components measured in biodiversity indices?

  Species richness and evenness
• A higher Simpson's Diversity Index value indicates greater biodiversity.
• The Shannon-Wiener Index quantifies the uncertainty in predicting the species of a randomly selected individual
• What is species richness a key indicator of?

  Biodiversity
• Order the methods to measure species richness from simplest to most time-consuming:

  1️⃣ Quadrat Sampling

  2️⃣ Transect Sampling

  3️⃣ Total Species Count
• The total species count method is highly accurate but may be impractical for large areas.
• What is a limitation of quadrat sampling for measuring species richness?

  May miss rare species
• What is species richness a key indicator of?

  Biodiversity
• Quadrat sampling uses square plots to count species and extrapolate to the entire area
• Transect sampling is effective for linear habitats like rivers or coastlines.
• What is the formula for species richness?

  $S =$$\sum N_{i}$
• Species evenness measures the relative abundance of different species in an ecosystem
• What does Shannon evenness measure?

  Uniformity of species distribution
• What does Simpson evenness measure?

  Extent of diversity distribution
• High biodiversity ensures ecosystems can withstand disturbances.
• Biodiversity provides vital ecosystem services such as clean air, pollination, and climate regulation
• What does Simpson's Diversity Index measure?

  Probability two individuals are same species
• What does the Shannon-Wiener Index quantify?

  Uncertainty in predicting species
• What is the formula for species richness?

  $S =$$\sum N_{i}$
• The Shannon Evenness formula is $E_{H} =$$\frac{H}{H_{\max}} =$$\frac{H}{\ln(S)}$, where $S$ is the number of species
• What does a higher value of Simpson's Diversity Index indicate?

  Greater biodiversity
• What does a higher value of the Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index indicate?

  Greater species diversity
• What is the Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index for this community based on the provided calculations?

  1.041
• Biodiversity refers to the variety of life within a particular area or across the entire planet
• There are three main types of biodiversity: species diversity, genetic diversity, and ecosystem diversity.
• Match the type of biodiversity with its importance:

  Species Diversity ↔️ Maintains ecosystem stability

  Genetic Diversity ↔️ Enhances adaptability

  Ecosystem Diversity ↔️ Supports ecological processes
• Rank the importance of biodiversity in order of ecological stability, ecosystem services, and human well-being:

  1️⃣ Ecological Stability

  2️⃣ Ecosystem Services

  3️⃣ Human Well-being
• Biodiversity is crucial for maintaining stable ecosystems
• High biodiversity ensures ecosystems can withstand disturbances and maintain balance.
• What is one key ecosystem service provided by biodiversity?

  Climate regulation
• Species richness is the number of different species present in an ecosystem or sample
• Species richness is a key indicator of biodiversity.
• The formula for species richness is S = \sum N_{i}
• What does species evenness measure in an ecosystem?

  Relative abundance