1. Community Ecology Lab
Species Diversity

2. Two options for gathering species diversity data:
1. Sample two outdoor
communities
2. Sample two indoor
simulated communities
Procedures for both methods are
outlined on Blackboard; select
the method most realistic for
you.

3. Construct Species Area Curve
 Plot cumulative
number of
species after
counting each
# species
quadrat on the y-
axis; number of
quadrats sampled
on the x-axis.

4. Sampling Procedures
Select next quadrat and
repeat procedures, adding
any new species to data
table
Plot number of cumulative
species on species area
curve
Continue sampling quadrats
until curve levels off for five
consecutive samples

5. # species

6. Sampling Procedures (continued)
 After sampling Community A, travel to Community
B and repeat all procedures. Complete the data
tables.

7. Complete calculation, analysis
and conclusions
 See lab on Bb to complete the calculations,
analysis and conclusions

8. References:
 All images:
 Photos by A. Jamison, except,
 Slide 6 image on left: “Monfeld toscana” by Jurgen Kofler via
Wikimedia
[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Moonfeld_toscana.jpg]
 Slide 7 image: Image from Microsoft Clipart
 References:
 Demnicki, Kimberly, and Martin Zahn. Explorations in Organismal
Biology. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt, 2011. 131-35. Print.
 Gregory, Michael. Web. 11 Apr. 2012.
<http://faculty.clintoncc.suny.edu/faculty/michael.gregory/files/BIO
%20206/206%20Laboratory/Species
%20Diversity/Species_Diversity.htm>.