Biological Biodiversity Firts Exam

Many of you mentioned in class that it is challenging to explain what is represented by “effective number of species.” I agree! The best way to understand the effective species number is to compare the diversities of two communities.
Read Comparing the Diversities of Two Communities: http://www.loujost.com/Statistics%20and%20Physics/Diversity%20and%20Similarity/How%20to%20compare%20the%20diversities%20of%20two%20communities.htm. For each paragraph, summarize (in detail) what you learned from that paragraph and explain why what you learned is important. Your goal is to write with enough detail so that someone who is unfamiliar with the information can clearly understand. Thus, for each paragraph, be sure to support what you explain with specific information from that paragraph. At the same time, write completely in your own words! There are a total of ten paragraphs to consider:
Six paragraphs in the introductory text:
(You don’t need to go to the link they provide about how to measure the diversity of a single community, because you already practice calculating biological diversity in your homework.)
“Suppose you want…”
“There are two parts…”
“Biologists have to get past…”
“Suppose you calculate…”
“So, to compare…”
“Many researchers prefer…”
Two paragraphs in Example 1:
“An interdisciplinary team…”
“However, species richness…”

Two paragraphs in Example 2:
“In Overstory composition…” (this paragraph continues below the graph)
“This is where…”

(You can skip example 3, because I believe that two examples are enough.)

Finally, reflect upon what you learned from those ten paragraphs. How would you now explain, in your own words, what is meant by “effective number of species” so that someone who had never heard of the concept could understand? Also explain why the effective species number is a better measure of biological diversity than Shannon Biodiversity (H), according to what you read.

#2 Compare biological diversity in a published study
Use a database (e.g. Biological Abstracts, GreenFILE, or Google Scholar) to find a primary research paper that includes Shannon biodiversity to measure either species, functional, or genetic biodiversity.
Provide the full text of the paper- either the link or a PDF copy uploaded with your exam answers.
Briefly summarize the study’s goals and how measuring biological diversity contributes to those goals.
What are at least two values of Shannon biodiversity (H) reported in the study, and what did the authors conclude from those Shannon biodiversity values? In other words, did those Shannon biodiversity values help the researchers to be able to answer their research questions, or not?
Convert those Shannon biodiversity values to “effective number of species.” Remember that the effective species number = exp(H). Now, reevaluate the authors’ conclusions based upon the effective species numbers, just as was done in examples 1 and 2 in the paragraphs that you summarized for exam question #1. How does the effective species number help you better understand what can be concluded from the biodiversity data for the paper that you chose? Explain.

#3 Flory & Clay (2009)- evaluating results
In your class presentations, you did a great job discussing the results of the many graphs in each of Figures 2, 3, and 4. Now, I want you to use data from all of these figures to evaluate the authors’ conclusions.
Hint: Be sure to take into account statistical significance when discussing the data. Remember that if any letters are shared, then you cannot conclude that there is a difference between the treatments. For example, ab is not different from a. Also, ab is not different from b. However, ab is different from c.
The authors state, “Species richness and biomass responses varied among functional groups.” In your opinion, which functional group responded best to the removal of the invasive Microstegium grass, and which method worked best for that group? Use the data in Figure 2 to justify your answer. (Remember to discuss the species richness and biomass data of each functional group, in response to each removal method.)
The authors also state, “The best technique for controlling Microstegium invasions, considering
time and costs of labour and herbicide, is the grass-specific, post emergent herbicide.” Do you agree (or not), and why do you think that the authors consider “time and cost?”
To answer, evaluate the data in Figures 3 and 4. For example, does the POST treatment always have the best result? Describe the data that showed when the POST treatment did have the best result and the data that showed when POST treatment did not have the best result.