What is species diversity and how is it measured?

Species diversity refers to the variety and abundance of different species present in a particular ecosystem or region. It is a key indicator of ecological health and stability. Species diversity is measured using two main components: species richness and species evenness. Species richness indicates the total number of different species in a given area, while species evenness measures how evenly individuals are distributed among those species. Various ecological indices such as the Shannon Index and Simpson Index are commonly used to quantify species diversity, providing a more accurate understanding of biodiversity by considering both the number of species and their relative abundance.