Beta diversity

Beta Diversity is a concept in ecology that refers to the variation in species composition between different ecosystems or habitats. It is one of the three components of biodiversity, along with alpha diversity and gamma diversity.

Definition

Beta Diversity is defined as the total number of species that are unique to each of the two habitats being compared. It is a measure of the change in species composition, or species turnover, across habitats or ecosystems.

Measurement

There are several methods to measure beta diversity, including the Jaccard index, Sørensen index, and Simpson index. These indices compare the number of species shared between two habitats to the total number of species across those habitats.

Factors Influencing Beta Diversity

Several factors can influence beta diversity, including geographical distance, environmental heterogeneity, and disturbance.

Importance of Beta Diversity

Understanding beta diversity is crucial for conservation biology and landscape ecology, as it provides insights into the distribution of biodiversity across different scales and can guide conservation strategies.

See Also

• Alpha diversity
• Gamma diversity
• Species richness
• Species evenness