Exploring Simpson's Diversity Index in Community Ecology

The video tutorial focuses on species diversity, explaining its two main components: species richness and relative abundance. It compares two communities, A and B, to illustrate these concepts. The importance of species diversity is highlighted, particularly in terms of ecosystem resilience to disruptions like invasive species. The video introduces Simpson's Diversity Index as a method to quantify species diversity, demonstrating its calculation and interpretation. Community A, with a higher diversity index, is shown to be more stable and resilient compared to Community B.

What are the two components of species diversity?

• Species richness and relative abundance

• Species richness and genetic diversity

• Species abundance and ecosystem diversity

• Species richness and habitat diversity

What is species richness?

• The number of individuals in a species

• The genetic variability within a species

• The number of habitats in a community

• The number of different species in a community

How is relative abundance different from species richness?

• It measures the number of species

• It measures the evenness of species distribution

• It is not related to species diversity

• It measures the genetic diversity

Which community, A or B, has a more even distribution of tree species?

• Community A

• Community B

• Both equally

• Neither

In which community is the relative abundance more skewed towards one species?

• Community A

• Community B

• Neither community

• Both communities

What would likely happen if an invasive species affected a community with low species evenness?

• It would have little impact

• It could lead to a significant loss of biodiversity

• It would increase species richness

• It would not affect the community structure

Why is species diversity important in an ecosystem?

• It decreases the food web complexity

• It contributes to ecosystem resilience

• It has no significant role

• It helps in faster evolution

What does a higher Simpson's Diversity Index indicate about a community?

• Higher stability and diversity

• Lower species richness

• No impact on community resilience

• Lower stability and diversity

What does the Simpson's Diversity Index measure?

• Population size of the dominant species

• Habitat diversity

• Species richness and evenness

• Genetic diversity only

What could be a consequence of having a dominant species in a community?

• Decreased risk of disease

• Increased biodiversity

• Enhanced ecosystem services

• Vulnerability to specific threats