Question

Biodiversity can be described at different spatial scales. If plants have high low diversity within any local community (alpha diversity) but high regional diversity (gamma diversity), what does that mean must be true about beta diversity (species turnover) A Beta diversity is low • Beta diversity is high Beta diversity agers between alpha and garma D. None of the above

Answer 1

Ans- Biodiversity can be measured at any spatial scale.

Alpha diversity also known local diversity is the number of species in a small area of homogenous habitat.

Gamma diversity also known as regional diversity is the total number of species observed in all habitats with in a geographic area that includes no significant barriers to the dispersal of organisms.

If each species occurred in all habitats with in a region then local and regional diversity would be same, however if each habitat has a unique biota regional diversity would equal the sum of local diversities of all the habitats in the region.

Beta diversity is the difference or turnover in species from one habitat to another. The greater the difference in species between habitats greater the beta diversity.

According to Whittaker measures beta diversity is the regional diversity divided by local diversity

Or

B= 0

Because $\alpha$ can vary only between 1 and $\gamma$

Beta =1 if all species occur in all communities i.e.

a =

And when all communities have single species

B=7

Hence here option C i.e. beta diversity differs between alpha and gamma diversity is correct.