1. What is Simpson's Diversity Index?

Simpson's Diversity Index (D) measures biodiversity by accounting for both species richness and evenness. It represents the probability that two randomly selected individuals from a sample will belong to different species.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses Simpson's Diversity Index equation:

Where:

• \( n_i \) — Number of individuals of species i
• \( N \) — Total number of individuals in the sample
• \( D \) — Diversity index (ranges from 0 to 1)

Explanation: The index approaches 1 when diversity is high (many species with even distribution) and approaches 0 when diversity is low (one species dominates).

3. Importance of Diversity Measurement

Details: Diversity indices are crucial in ecology for comparing habitats, monitoring environmental changes, and assessing conservation priorities.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter counts of individuals for each species, separated by commas. All values must be positive integers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does a value of 0.75 mean?
A: A value of 0.75 indicates high diversity, meaning there's a 75% chance two randomly selected individuals will be different species.

Q2: How does this differ from Shannon's index?
A: Simpson's index is more sensitive to dominant species, while Shannon's index is more sensitive to rare species.

Q3: What's considered a "good" diversity value?
A: Values above 0.6 are generally considered good diversity, but this depends on the ecosystem being studied.

Q4: Can I use percentages instead of counts?
A: Yes, as long as all values sum to 100, you can use percentages as they represent proportions.

Q5: How many species should I include?
A: Include all species in your sample for accurate results. The index works with any number of species.