Species diversity
Species diversity
Species diversity (pronunciation: /ˈspiːʃiːz daɪˈvɜːrsɪti/) is a term used in Ecology to describe the variety of different species within a particular Ecosystem or Habitat. It is a measure of Biodiversity and is used to understand the complexity of biological communities.
Etymology
The term 'Species diversity' is derived from the Latin word 'species' meaning kind or sort, and the Old French word 'diversité' meaning difference or variety.
Definition
Species diversity is a combination of Species richness, the number of different species in a particular area, and Species evenness, the relative abundance of different species. It is often used as a measure of ecosystem health, with higher species diversity generally indicating a healthier ecosystem.
Measurement
Species diversity can be measured using a variety of indices, including the Shannon index, the Simpson index, and the Berger-Parker index. These indices take into account both species richness and species evenness to provide a single value that represents the overall species diversity of an ecosystem.
Importance
Species diversity is important for a number of reasons. It can contribute to ecosystem stability, increase productivity, and enhance ecosystem services. It also has intrinsic value, with many people valuing the existence of a wide variety of different species for their own sake.
Related Terms
- Biodiversity: The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
- Ecosystem: A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
- Habitat: The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.
- Species richness: The number of different species represented in an ecological community, landscape or region.
- Species evenness: A measure of the relative abundance of the different species making up the richness of an area.
- Shannon index: A commonly used diversity index that takes into account both abundance and evenness of the species present.
- Simpson index: A measure of diversity which takes into account the number of species present, as well as the relative abundance of each species.
- Berger-Parker index: A measure of dominance that is the proportion of the community made up by the most abundant species.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Species diversity
- Wikipedia's article - Species diversity
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