There are five species in a community of 100 individuals. Species 1 has 40 individuals, and species 2-5 each have 15 individuals. What is the evenness of the community?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Evenness is a measure of how similar the abundances of different species are in a community. It can be calculated using various indices, one common method being the Pielou's evenness index, which is J' = H'/H'max, where H' is the Shannon-Wiener diversity index and H'max is the maximum possible value of H' given the number of species. In this case, the calculation involves determining the actual diversity (H') and comparing it to the maximum possible diversity if all species were equally abundant. The given answer, 1.504, suggests a calculation error or misunderstanding, as evenness values typically range between 0 and 1, with 1 indicating perfect evenness. However, without the specific formula or method used to arrive at these options, the correct answer based on standard evenness measures should be within the 0 to 1 range, indicating a potential mistake in the question or answer options.

There Are Five Species in a Community of 100 Individuals