What do you mean by alpha diversity, Biology

Assignment Help:

Q. What do you mean by Alpha diversity?

Alpha (a) richness refers to the number of species found in small, homogenous area. Alpha diversity refers to the diversity in a particular area or ecosystem and is usually expressed by the number of species (i.e. species richness) in that ecosystem.

Alpha diversity is characterised by several widespread patterns that are characteristic of most taxa and are strongly correlated with physical environmental gradients. For example,

· Marine and terrestrial environments in tropical regions have more species of higher taxonomic groups than those in higher latitude communities.

· Richness of species in terms of most taxa is positively correlated with habitat structural complexity.

· Structurally simple habitats like open oceans, grasslands, etc. generally support fewer species than structurally complex communities such as forests and coral reefs. In the open oceans maximum richness of most groups is found at depths between 2000-4000 m. In contrast coral species richness peaks at depths between 15-30 m because corals obtain their energy from photosynthetic organisms embedded in their tissues, and are thus confined to the photic zone.

· Island communities are poor in species than comparable mainland communities.


Related Discussions:- What do you mean by alpha diversity

Advantages and disadvantages of mechanical valves, Advantages Durab...

Advantages Durability of these vales are long lasting.  Disadvantages Need for anticoagulant therapy is life long.  Risk of thrombo-embolism is hi

Pathophysiology of acute glomerulonephritis, Pathophysiology   The exac...

Pathophysiology   The exact mechanism of glomerulonephritis  is still under investigation. The dies'ease is characterised by deposition  of immune complexes  consisting of anti

Explain treatment of latent tb infection, Treatment of latent tb infection ...

Treatment of latent tb infection The risk of developing clinical tuberculosis is greatest in patients with latent TB who are also infected with HIV or are receiving immunosuppr

Supply of animals in lab, Supply of Animals: Lab animals must be obtained ...

Supply of Animals: Lab animals must be obtained from accredited dealers and by accredited dealers, we mean suppliers in the business of supplying animals for lab use, and not from

Synthesis of starch, Thus animals store surplus carbohydrate as glycogen; p...

Thus animals store surplus carbohydrate as glycogen; plants do so in form of starch. Starch is producing in the stroma of chloroplasts and stored there as starch grains. The Starch

Cockroach - tracheal system, can you give brief diagram of the tracheal sys...

can you give brief diagram of the tracheal system of cockroach?

The stem is often dipped in a hormone powder, Before stem cuttings are plan...

Before stem cuttings are planted, the cut end of the stem is often dipped in a hormone powder. What is the point of this?   The hormone powder having a plant growth substanc

Determine the significance of mesoglea, Determine the significance of Mesog...

Determine the significance of Mesoglea. The jellylike layer found between endodermal and ectodermal cell layers of diploblastic organisms. It acts as a type of cement holding t

State in brief about the macronutrients, State  in brief about the Macronut...

State  in brief about the Macronutrients  Each element is specific in its function in plant metabolism, however, the exact functions for a number of them are still not known. T

Parasitic protozoan, Parasitic Protozoan Out of the thousands of speci...

Parasitic Protozoan Out of the thousands of species of Protozoa, the majority are free living. However, many species from within the phyla Sarcomastigophora and Ciliophora are

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd