The Shannon index of species diversity is calculated using this equation: The data for a community of four species is given in the table.Use the table and the equation to determine the diversity value (H) for this community.
A) H = 4
B) H = 50
C) H = 1.00
D) H = -1.09
E) H = 1.09

Question

The Shannon index of species diversity is calculated using this equation:  The data for a community of four species is given in the table.Use the table and the equation to determine the diversity value (H) for this community. 
A) H = 4 
B) H = 50 
C) H = 1.00 
D) H = -1.09 
E) H = 1.09

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Using the Shannon index equation, H = - (Sum of (pi * ln(pi))), where pi = proportion of individuals in species i.

pi for each species can be calculated by dividing the total number of individuals for that species by the total number of individuals in the community: 
p1 = 7/20 = 0.35 
p2 = 5/20 = 0.25 
p3 = 4/20 = 0.20 
p4 = 4/20 = 0.20

Substituting these values into the Shannon index equation: 
H = - [(0.35 * ln(0.35)) + (0.25 * ln(0.25)) + (0.20 * ln(0.20)) + (0.20 * ln(0.20))]

H = 1.09

Therefore, the best choice is E, H = 1.09.

The Shannon Index of Species Diversity Is Calculated Using This