Name: MASILANG, PHILIP ANTHONY L.

Section: ZGE 4301 – 2A

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE ACTIVITY - Species Diversity Simulation

Species diversity takes into account the number of species (species richness), evenness and abundance of
species in a community. Ecologists use diversity indices to measure species diversity. A healthy biological
community usually supports high species diversity.
Shannon index of diversity (H’) is one of the most common indices used to estimate the species diversity
and can be computed using the following formula:

For this activity, species diversity will be simulated using the different types of cars in your vicinity/ neighbourhood.
1. Record the number of cars by “species” i.e. their manufacturer and type (model)
2. Count the number of individuals per “species”.
3. Calculate the relative abundance (pi) using the equation given above.
4. Record all your data in the table below.
5. Use a calculator for the ln (natural log) function to calculate the data for the last 2 columns.

Self-assessment questions:

1. What is the most abundant “species”? Toyota__________________________________

2. What is the least abundant “species”? Mazda__________________________________
3. There are how many species were you able to identify? __11_______________________
4. Based on your data, do you have high index of diversity? Explain the significance of having high
species diversity in biological communities.
Yes, I have a high index of diversity.
A diversified and balanced number of species exists in a healthy ecosystem to preserve an
ecosystem's equilibrium. In an ecosystem, all species rely on one another, either directly or indirectly. So,
in order to create a more efficient, productive, and sustainable ecosystem, it is critical to maintain a high
level of species variety.

5. What is a keystone species? How will this species affect the diversity in biological communities?
A keystone species is an organism that contributes to the definition of a whole ecosystem.
Without its keystone species, the ecosystem would be drastically altered or might cease to exist entirely.
The functional redundancy of keystone species is minimal.
They serve an essential role in preserving species diversity and ecological integrity. They have
a significant influence on the species kinds and abundance in an environment. These species perform
numerous essential functions in sustaining some species and preventing other species from becoming
excessively dominant. For example, removing predatory starfish from an environment caused distinct types
of mussels to outcompete other species, diminishing species diversity.
Toyota 1 21 0.21875 -1.51983 -0.33246
Honda 2 13 0.13542 -1.99940 -0.27076
Mitsubishi 3 7 0.07292 -2.61844 -0.19094
Suzuki 4 7 0.07292 -2.61844 -0.19094
Nissan 5 8 0.08333 -2.48491 -0.20707
Isuzu 6 4 0.04167 -3.17805 -0.13243
Hyundai 7 15 0.15625 -1.85630 -0.29005
Ford 8 10 0.10416 -2.26176 -0.23559
Mazda 9 2 0.02083 -3.87120 -0.08064
Chevrolet 10 4 0.04167 -3.17805 -0.13243
Kia 11 5 0.05208 -2.95491 -0.15389
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
TOTAL 96 1.00000

-2.2172
Shannon Index of Diversity
2.2172