A biologist is studying the diversity of bird species in two adjacent forests. She calculates the Shannon index for both forests. Forest A has a Shannon index of 3.2, and Forest B has a Shannon index of 2.8. Which forest has higher species diversity?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

A higher Shannon index indicates greater species diversity, so Forest A (3.2) is more diverse than Forest B (2.8).

1. Relevant knowledge points and concepts
- The Shannon index (H') is an information-theory–based diversity metric that combines species richness (number of species) and evenness (how individuals are distributed among species).
- Formula: H' = -Σ (p_i * ln p_i), where p_i is the proportion of individuals in species i. Larger H' values mean greater uncertainty in predicting species identity of a randomly chosen individual → higher diversity.

2. Step-by-step reasoning
- Compare the two computed Shannon indices directly: H'_A = 3.2 and H'_B = 2.8.
- Since Shannon index is directly comparable across communities measured the same way, the community with the larger H' has greater diversity.

3. Calculations and intermediate steps
- Compute the difference: 3.2 − 2.8 = 0.4. This positive difference shows Forest A has a higher index by 0.4 units.
- No further calculation from raw counts is required because the index values are already given. (If species proportions were given, we would compute H' by summing −p_i ln p_i for each species.)

4. Why the correct answer is correct
- The Shannon index is explicitly designed so higher numeric values correspond to higher diversity (more species and/or more even abundances). Therefore, the forest with H' = 3.2 is more diverse than the one with H' = 2.8.

5. Why the other options are incorrect
- "Forest B": incorrect because 2.8 < 3.2, so B has lower diversity.
- "It cannot be determined from the information given": incorrect because the Shannon indices are directly comparable; the higher value identifies the more diverse forest.
- "Both forests have the same diversity": incorrect because the indices differ (3.2 ≠ 2.8).

6. Conclusion
Forest A has the higher species diversity. This matches the provided answer: Forest A.

A biologist is studying the diversity of bird species in two adjacent forests. She calculates the Shannon index for both forests. Forest A has a Shannon index of 3.2, and Forest B has a Shannon index of 2.8. Which forest has higher species diversity?单项选择题

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