Lincoln School
Biodiversity Lab
Scientific Report
Project Name: Comparing forested area and open area biodiversity by ShannonWiener, Species Richness, and Simpson indexes.
Group number: Group Number 1
Participants: María Jesús Pérez, Fabiana Chotocruz, & Priscilla Oconitrillo
Abstract: During the project we as a group counted the number of species and
their amount in two different areas. We first counted the number of animals in
an open area and then we did the same process in a forested area. This counting
was done in order to compare by the indexes the biodiversity. The ShannonWiener results 1.23, and 1.19, for the first and second time in the open area. The
forested area was 1.31 and 1.36 for the first and second times. The Species
Richness results were 8 on the first time and 5 on the second time for both areas.
Finally, the Simpson results were 0.36 and 0.27 for the open areas, and 0.38 and
0.31 for the forested area.
Introduction: The purpose of the project was to compare by the indexes the
biodiversity of open area with the forested area. With doing the project we
expected the forested area to have more biodiversity and to have a better
distribution, taking into account the amount of trees and plants in the area.
While the open, being under the sun, and in complete devoid of trees, to have
less and poor distribution of biodiversity.
Hypothesis: If we gather information regarding biodiversity in forested areas
and open areas, then we will find more biodiversity in forested areas.
Null Hypothesis: If we gather information regarding biodiversity in forested
areas and open areas, then we will not find more biodiversity in forested areas.
Objective: The main objective of the project was to compare by the indexes the
biodiversity of open area with the forested area. The things we compared are the
amount of biodiversity, and their distribution.
Methods: In order to accomplish this project we went to a open area, and there
we timed a certain amount of time in which we were going to catch or look for
animals with nets and mark them in a paper to keep a record. Then we repeated
the process again one more time in the open area, and twice in the forested area.
We then went to the classroom and applied the formulas for each index to find
the information to compare. The formula for Species Richness is: S= # of species,
for the Simpson index D = sum (Pi2), and for Shannon-Wiener H = -sum
(Piln[Pi]).
Materials: In order to achieve this project we used nets to catch the animals, and
calculators to get the number of each index, and obviously nature’s gift of open
and forested areas.
Results:
Open Area:
Species
Butterflies
Mosquitoes
Leafhoppers
Grasshoppers
Dragonfly
Stinkbug
Flies
Beattles
# found
8,00
68,00
120,00
34,00
1,00
1,00
1,00
4,00
237,00
pi
0,03
0,29
0,51
0,14
0,00
0,00
0,00
0,02
pi2
0,0011
0,0823
0,2564
0,0206
0,0000
0,0000
0,0000
0,0003
ln[pi]
-3,3886
-1,2486
-0,6806
-1,9417
-5,4681
-5,4681
-5,4681
-4,0818
Index
Species richness index: S= # species
Value
8,00
Simpson's index: D = sum(Pi2)
Shannon-Wiener Index: H = -sum(Piln[Pi])
0,36
1,234
piln[pi]
-0,1144
-0,3582
-0,3446
-0,2786
-0,0231
-0,0231
-0,0231
-0,0689
Forested Area:
Species
Butterflies
Wasps
Mosquitoes
Beattle
Spider
Cricket
Stinkbug
Flies
# found
10,00
4,00
31,00
4,00
1,00
1,00
1,00
1,00
53,00
pi
0,19
0,08
0,58
0,08
0,02
0,02
0,02
0,02
pi2
0,0356
0,0057
0,3421
0,0057
0,0004
0,0004
0,0004
0,0004
Index
Species richness index: S= # species
ln[pi]
-1,67
-2,58
-0,54
-2,58
-3,97
-3,97
-3,97
-3,97
piln[pi]
-0,3147
-0,1950
-0,3137
-0,1950
-0,0749
-0,0749
-0,0749
-0,0749
Value
8,00
Simpson's index: D = sum(Pi2)
0,39
Shannon-Wiener Index: H = -sum(Piln[Pi])
1,318
Summary:
Instructor
Index
Species richness index: S= # species
F
K
Open
8,00
F
K
Open
Forested Forested
5
8
5
Simpson's index: D = sum(Pi2)
0,36
0,27
0,38
0,31
Shannon-Wiener Index: H = -sum(Piln[Pi])
1,23
1,19
1,31
1,36
Charts:
Species richness index: S= # species
8.00
7.00
6.00
5.00
4.00
3.00
2.00
1.00
0.00
Species richness index: S= #
species
Open
Open
F
K
Forested Forested
F
K
Simpson's index: D = sum(Pi2)
0.40
0.35
0.30
0.25
0.20
0.15
0.10
0.05
0.00
Simpson's index: D =
sum(Pi2)
Open
Open
Forested
Forested
F
K
F
K
Shannon-Wiener Index: H = sum(Piln[Pi])
1.40
1.35
1.30
1.25
1.20
1.15
1.10
Shannon-Wiener Index: H =
-sum(Piln[Pi])
Open
Open
F
K
Forested Forested
F
K
Analysis: The Shannon-Wiener, having two numbers was able to compare the
number of species and their distribution. The forested area’s Shannon-Wiener
index was higher, 1.31, meaning the species were distributed better, while the
open area’s Shannon-Wiener index was lower, 1.21, meaning the distribution
was more concentrated. The second time the experiment took place, the forested
area’s Shannon-Wiener index was 1.36, and the open area’s was 1.19, leading to
the same results. The species richness index was higher in neither of them. The
two times the experiment took place the species richness number was exactly
the same. The number was 8 the first time, and the second time the experiment
took place both areas gave a number of 5. The amount of species was the same.
The Simpson Index was 0.36 in the open area and 0.38 in the forested area. The
second time the experiment took place the Simpson index was 0.27 in the open
area, while in the forested area the Simpson index was 0.31. This data tells us
that the open area was more diverse because there are less probabilities of
catching the same individuals.
Conclusion: In our hypothesis we wrote: If we gather information regarding
biodiversity in forested areas and open areas, then we will find more
biodiversity in forested areas. The data collected contradicts the hypothesis,
since the Simpson index states that the open area has more biodiversity, because
the probabilities of catching the same individuals are lower than the ones of
catching the same individuals in the forested area. However, our data concludes
that although the forested area has less biodiversity it is better distributed than
the open area, the Shannon-Wiener index states so.
Recommendations: The next time or for future groups that do this project, we
would recommend to have only one person that counts but that person should
be situated in the middle of the area, having opportunities to hear everyone’s
findings of animals. Also the difference between the forested and open area
counting, was that in the open area we stayed in the same place, while in the
forested we walked through the forest. We would recommend to her either stay
in the same place or walk in both areas.