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
• The Total Species Count method is highly accurate but may be impractical for large areas
• Quadrat sampling is cost-effective but may miss rare species.
• For which type of habitat is transect sampling most effective?

  Linear habitats
• The formula for species richness is S = $\sum N_{i}$
• What does species evenness measure?

  Relative abundance
• Higher species evenness contributes to greater biodiversity.
• What does Shannon evenness measure?

  Uniformity of distribution
• A Simpson evenness value closer to 1 indicates higher evenness
• What are the three main types of biodiversity?

  Species, genetic, ecosystem
• High biodiversity provides vital ecosystem services such as clean air and pollination.
• What two components of biodiversity are quantified by measures such as the Simpson's and Shannon-Wiener indices?

  Richness and evenness
• The Simpson's Diversity Index measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to the same species
• What does the Shannon-Wiener Index quantify?

  Uncertainty in species prediction
• Species richness is a key indicator of biodiversity.
• Match the method of measuring species richness with its advantage:

  Total Species Count ↔️ Highly accurate

  Quadrat Sampling ↔️ Cost-effective

  Transect Sampling ↔️ Effective for linear habitats
• What does species evenness measure in an ecosystem?

  Relative abundance
• A higher value of Shannon evenness indicates greater uniformity in species distribution.
• A value closer to 1 for Simpson evenness indicates higher evenness
• What does the Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index quantify?

  Uncertainty in species prediction
• The formula for the Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index is H = $- \sum_{i = 1}^{S} p_{i} \ln(p_{i})$
• What is biodiversity crucial for maintaining?

  Stable ecosystems
• 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