Species diversity

Science

Definition

Species diversity measures the variety and abundance of different species within a community or ecosystem. It includes both species richness (the number of different species) and species evenness (how evenly individuals are distributed among those species).

Examples

  • A tropical rainforest with thousands of species having high species diversity
  • A monoculture cornfield with essentially one species having very low diversity
  • Coral reefs being called the 'rainforests of the sea' due to their incredible species diversity

Related Terms

Biodiversity Community ecology Ecosystem services Invasive species

Study This Concept

Practice species diversity with free review games in these units:

AP Environmental Science Unit 2: The Living World: Biodiversity