For the community in this table, calculate the Shannon diversity index and Evenness order Orthoptera Orthoptera (grasshopper) (grasshopper) Lepidoptera Lepidoptera (butterfly) (butterfly) Coleoptera (beetle) description green with red legs brown with a yellow stripe large, blue small, blue red & blue number of individuals (n) 6 5 1 3 12
Ecology and Biology: Shannon Diversity Index: Definition & Example
The Shannon Diversity Index (sometimes called the Shannon-Wiener Index) is a way to measure the diversity of species in a community.
Denoted as H, this index is calculated as:
H = -Σpi * ln(pi)
where:
- Σ: A Greek symbol that means “sum”
- ln: Natural log
- pi: The proportion of the entire community made up of species i
The higher the value of H, the higher the diversity of species in a particular community. The lower the value of H, the lower the diversity. A value of H = 0 indicates a community that only has one species.
The Shannon Equitability Index is a way to measure the evenness of species in a community. The term “evenness” simply refers to how similar the abundances of different species are in the community.
Denoted as EH, this index is calculated as:
EH = H / ln(S)
where:
- H: The Shannon Diversity Index
- S: The total number of unique species
What is the Shannon diversity index value for this community?
What is the Species evenness value for this community?
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