Suppose you were going up the west coast of Australia and observed that there are many species of termites in any one community, and the species composition changed little between communities. You would conclude that for these termites,
A) both the alpha and beta diversities are high.
B) the alpha diversity is low, but the beta diversity is high.
C) the alpha diversity is high, and the beta diversity is low.
D) the alpha diversity is high, and the beta diversity is negative.
E) the alpha diversity is low, and the beta diversity is negative.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The observation that there are many species of termites in any one community suggests that the alpha diversity is high. The fact that the species composition changes little between communities indicates that the beta diversity is low. Therefore, for these termites, the alpha diversity is high, and the beta diversity is low.

Suppose You Were Going Up the West Coast of Australia