Biodiversity · Botany

What is the primary difference between 'species richness' and 'species evenness'?

  1. Richness is the total count of species, while evenness is the relative abundance of each species.
  2. Evenness is the total count of species, while richness is the health of the species.
  3. Richness applies only to plants, while evenness applies only to animals.
  4. There is no difference; the terms are interchangeable in ecology.
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Correct answer: Richness is the total count of species, while evenness is the relative abundance of each species.

Species richness is a simple count of how many different species are present in a community. Species evenness describes how close in numbers each species in an environment is, helping scientists understand if a community is dominated by one specific type of organism.

Difficulty: Medium Question 6 of 20

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