Assume two habitats have the same number of species. One habitat is predominantly one species with just a few of the other species. The other habitat has equal numbers of all the different species. Which will have the highest diversity index?
The habitat with equal numbers of all different species will have the highest diversity index. This is because diversity index takes into account both the number of species present and their relative abundance. In the habitat with equal numbers of all species, the species are evenly distributed, leading to a higher diversity index. In contrast, in the habitat that is predominantly one species with only a few of the other species, the dominance of one species will lower the diversity index.
