<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The article presents the possible methods for determining biological or statistically significant differences between taxocenoses compared with respect to biodiversity. To obtain a complete description of biological differences between the compared hypothetical communities, the following indices were calculated: <italic>S</italic> (taxon richness), <italic>H</italic> (the Shannon index), <italic>Hmax</italic> (the maximum value of the Shannon index for the richness of taxa represented by the same number of individuals), <italic>Vd</italic> (a percentage value of covering the structural capacity of community, “evenness deficiency”), <italic>E</italic> (the MacArthur index - a taxon number (S) in a community for which the observed value of <italic>H</italic> equals <italic>Hmax</italic>), and <italic>Ps</italic> (a taxon richness shortage in percents). Moreover, a graphic profile method (Дд, <italic>Tj</italic>, and <italic>Lj</italic> profiles) was used for comparing the diversity of the communities. To obtain information about statistically significant differences in biodiversity between the analysed communities, rarefaction curves were applied. The curves are based on the null models and the Monte Carlo method. The rarefaction method resulted in determination of the statistical significance of the differences between taxon richness and Shannon's index values for the compared communities. The <italic>Vd</italic> and <italic>Ps</italic> indices and the profile method allowed concluding about the significance of the biological differences between taxocenoses, even when their values of Shannon's <italic>H</italic> indices were numerically similar.</abstract>

The article presents the possible methods for determining biological or statistically significant differences between taxocenoses compared with respect to biodiversity. To obtain a complete description of biological differences between the compared hypothetical communities, the following indices were calculated: S (taxon richness), H (the Shannon index), Hmax (the maximum value of the Shannon index for the richness of taxa represented by the same number of individuals), Vd (a percentage value of covering the structural capacity of community, “evenness deficiency”), E (the MacArthur index - a taxon number (S) in a community for which the observed value of H equals Hmax), and Ps (a taxon richness shortage in percents). Moreover, a graphic profile method (Дд, Tj, and Lj profiles) was used for comparing the diversity of the communities. To obtain information about statistically significant differences in biodiversity between the analysed communities, rarefaction curves were applied. The curves are based on the null models and the Monte Carlo method. The rarefaction method resulted in determination of the statistical significance of the differences between taxon richness and Shannon's index values for the compared communities. The Vd and Ps indices and the profile method allowed concluding about the significance of the biological differences between taxocenoses, even when their values of Shannon's H indices were numerically similar.

Methods Applied for Measurement and Visualization of Changes in Biodiversity

Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, ul. Nadbystrzycka 40B, 20-618 Lublin, Poland, phone +48 81 538 43 22

Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Thakurova 7, 166 29 Prague, Czech Republic, phone +420 22435 5412

Ecological Chemistry and Engineering S

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Methods Applied for Measurement and Visualization of Changes in Biodiversity"}

The article presents the possible methods for determining biological or statistically significant differences between taxocenoses compared with respect to...

Methods Applied for Measurement and Visualization of Changes in Biodiversity

Published Online: Feb 02, 2015

Page range: 593 - 604

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/eces-2014-0042

Keywords
biodiversity, Shannon's index, rarefaction curves, profile method

© 2015 Łagód et al.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Methods Applied for Measurement and Visualization of Changes in Biodiversity

Published Online: Feb 02, 2015

Page range: 593 - 604

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/eces-2014-0042

Keywordsbiodiversity, Shannon's index, rarefaction curves, profile method

© 2015 Łagód et al.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
biodiversity, Shannon's index, rarefaction curves, profile method