Finding and Comparing the Diversity of Two Areas within an Ecosystem

by Grayce Smith

Submitted : Fall 2014

This project aimed to determine whether a developed portion or undeveloped portion of the USF Botanical Gardens would have a higher species diversity. In order to find diversity, two formulas were used; Simpson’s Index and the Shannon-Wiener Index. By measuring the number of individuals of each species, a proportion was found for each species and then plugged into each formula accordingly. The developed area ended up having a higher biological diversity with both formulas compared to the undeveloped area. This means that humanity’s impact in this area has been to the benefit of species diversity. 

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