MODEL QUESTION ON EQUITABILITY INDEX 3 ON TEMPERATE FORESTS:

An investigation was made in forest biome to assess their status in terms of species diversity. Results of the study are given
below. Calculate the equitability index of both ecosystems and give your opinion about these ecosystems in terms of
environmental conditions.
[10 marks]
TEMPERATE ECOSYSTEM A
No./sq
Plant Species Name
km

pi=proportion

Quercus lanuginosa

35

0.01967397

Quercus glauca

50

0.02810568

Quercus lamellosa
Quercus
semecarpifolia

21

0.01180438

742

0.41708825

Pinus radiata

18

0.01011804

Myrica sp.

47

0.02641934

Picea sp

72

0.04047218

Lyonia sp

27

0.01517707

0.00505902

Magnolia sp.

34

0.01911186

Picea sp

17

0.00955593

Acer sp.

58

0.03260259

Pinus roxburghii

536

0.30129286

Castanopsis indica

105

0.05902192

0.00168634

Anus rubra

Abies anabilis

log2pi=lnpi/ln2
5.667567778
5.152994605
6.404533372
1.261575419
6.626925794
5.242261944
4.626925794
6.041963293
7.626925794
5.709387954
6.709387954
-4.9388698
1.730761605
4.082605278
9.211888295

pi*(log2pi)
0.1115036
0.1448284
0.0756016
0.5261883
0.0670515
0.1384971
0.1872618
0.0916993
0.0385848
-0.109117
0.0641144
0.1610199
0.5214661
0.2409632
0.0155344

Hmax=log2S

Evenness Index "E"=H/Hmax

log2S=lnS/ln2

Hmax=4.

S=16 species

H= - pi*(log2pi)= -(2.916593)

H= 2.916593)
ln16 =
2.7725887

ln2=0.69314718

"E"=H/Hmax=2.91659/4

ln16/ln2 =
3.9999
"E" = 2.916593/4.0
Hmax=log2S=4.0

"E" = 0.729147506

Abies balsamea
Total

5
1779

0.00281057

-8.4749227

0.0238193
2.5172507

COMMENTS:
Since the Equitability Index "E"=0.729 or nearly "1.0", this community has great species diversity both in terms of species
numbers AND THE RELATIVE ABUNDANCE IN THE INDIVIDUAL NUMBERS OF EACH SPECIES!

EQUITABILITY INDEC OF TEMPERATE ECOSYSTEM B:

TEMPERATE ECOSYSTEM A
No./sq
Plant Species Name
km
Quercus lanuginosa

pi=proportion

73

0.03316674

Quercus glauca

119

0.05406633

Quercus lamellosa
Quercus
semecarpifolia

192

0.08723308

19

0.00863244

Pinus radiata

678

0.3080418

78

0.03543844

Myrica sp.
Picea sp

54

0.0245343

Lyonia sp

56

0.02544298

0.00363471

Magnolia sp.

302

0.13721036

Picea sp

417

0.18945934

Acer sp.

40

0.01817356

Pinus roxburghii

57

0.02589732

Castanopsis indica

90

0.0408905

Abies anabilis

12

0.00545207

0.00272603

2201

Anus rubra

Abies balsamea
Total

log2pi=lnpi/ln2
4.914118871
4.209125667
3.518980929
6.856015916
1.698801967
4.818541211
5.349055928
5.296588508
-8.10394343
2.865538691
2.400039856
5.782015335
5.271053416
4.612090334
7.518980929
8.518980929

pi*(log2pi)

Hmax=log2S

Evenness Index "E"=H/Hmax

log2S=lnS/ln2

Hmax=4.

S=16 species

H= - pi*(log2pi)= -(3.0652906)

0.1629853
-0.227572
0.3069715
0.0591841
-0.523302
0.1707616
0.1312354
-0.134761
0.0294555
0.3931816
-0.45471
0.1050798
0.1365062
0.1885907
-0.040994
-0.023223
3.0652906

H= 2.916593)
ln16 =
2.7725887

ln2=0.69314718

"E"=H/Hmax=3.0652906/4

ln16/ln2 =
3.9999
"E" = 3.0652906/4
Hmax=log2S=4.0

"E" = 0.76632266

COMMENT ON TEMPERATE ECOSYSTEM B EQUITABILITY INDEX = 0.766

Since the Equitability Index "E"=0.766 or nearly "1.0", this community has great species diversity both in terms of species
numbers AND THE RELATIVE ABUNDANCE IN THE INDIVIDUAL NUMBERS OF EACH SPECIES!
COMPARISON OF EQUITABILITY INDICES OF ECOSYSTEMS OF A & B:
ECOSYSTEM
A
B

SPECIES NUMBER S
16
16

EQUITABILITY INDEX E
0.729
0.766

Both of the Temperate Forest Ecosystems A & B had the exact same number of species so species diversity in terms of species
composition is the SAME but the relative numbers of individuals of each species in the two ecosystems differ. The Equitability
Index of Ecosystem B, E is higher than that of A (0.77 vz 0.73) so the Ecosystem B is more diverse a community than
Ecosystem A.