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

Explain the cost utility analysis, Explain the Cost Utility Analysis? C...

Explain the Cost Utility Analysis? Cost utility analysis: Cost utility analysis provides for measurement of health outcomes for a given cost. The health outcomes are measured q

Explain the working of pulmonary circulation, Explain the working of Pulmon...

Explain the working of Pulmonary Circulation? In pulmonary circulation, blood is pumped to the lungs, where carbon dioxide is exchanged for oxygen. Blood returning from the bod

What are the techniques of rastelli operations, What are the Techniques of ...

What are the Techniques of rastelli operations ? After median sternotomy pericardial patch is harvested and then cardiopulmonary bypass instituted using aortic and bicaval cann

Elaborate the term - gill slits, Elaborate the term - Gill slits. Later...

Elaborate the term - Gill slits. Lateral opening in the wall of pharynx which allows water to enter into mouth and exit through the pharynx. This is one of the ancestral charac

Determine the evaluation of the bone, Evaluation of the bone Evaluation...

Evaluation of the bone Evaluation of the bone -implant interface needs to be done by the following: Failures in Implant Dentistry 1) Implant mobility and discomfort 2)

Class polychaeta - classification of coelom, Class Polychaeta - Classificat...

Class Polychaeta - Classification of Coelom There are mainly marine forms with distinct head, having eyes and tentacles, segments have lateral projections of the body wall ter

Explain the history of darwins finches, Explain the history of Darwin's Fin...

Explain the history of Darwin's Finches? The most well known evidence upon which Darwin based his theory was the distribution pattern of the Galapagos finches. The Beagle's voy

What is an etiological agent of disease, Q. What is an etiological agent of...

Q. What is an etiological agent of disease? The etiological agent of disease is the agent that causes the disease. It may perhaps a living being, substance or environmental fac

What nerve is being compressed, what major nerve do you think is being comp...

what major nerve do you think is being compressed when a person often feel pain in the posterior surface of the thigh radiating to the area behind the knee and where is the likely

Homework, 1) a) Initially, how do skeletal muscles (the type of muscle atta...

1) a) Initially, how do skeletal muscles (the type of muscle attached to bones) make ATP? b) write the reaction for this procss (Crp +ADP => Cr + ATP) as a ''coupled'' reaction, id

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