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Shannon Diversity Index Calculator

Ecology
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Calculates the Shannon Diversity Index (H') to quantify species diversity in a community. The index considers both the number of species and the evenness of their distribution.

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How To Use

How to use this calculator

Start with your values, or try a preset.

Step 1

Enter Number of Species (S), Abundance of Species 1 (n1), Abundance of Species 2 (n2), Abundance of Species 3 (n3), Abundance of Species 4 (n4), and Abundance of Species 5 (n5) in the units shown.

Step 2

Read Total Number of Individuals (N), Proportion of Species 5 (p5), Proportion of Species 4 (p4), Proportion of Species 3 (p3), Proportion of Species 2 (p2), Proportion of Species 1 (p1), ln(p5), ln(p4), ln(p3), ln(p2), ln(p1), and Shannon Diversity Index (H') in the results panel. Results update as you change the inputs.

Step 3

Choose a preset to load an example, then adjust the values for your situation.

Worked Examples

Example calculations

See the inputs and their calculated results.

Example 1: Even Distribution

Number of Species (S): 5 species; Abundance of Species 1 (n1): 20 individuals; Abundance of Species 2 (n2): 20 individuals; Abundance of Species 3 (n3): 20 individuals; Abundance of Species 4 (n4): 20 individuals; Abundance of Species 5 (n5): 20 individuals

Total Number of Individuals (N): 100 individuals; Proportion of Species 5 (p5): 0.2; Proportion of Species 4 (p4): 0.2; Proportion of Species 3 (p3): 0.2; Proportion of Species 2 (p2): 0.2; Proportion of Species 1 (p1): 0.2; ln(p5): -1.609437912; ln(p4): -1.609437912; ln(p3): -1.609437912; ln(p2): -1.609437912; ln(p1): -1.609437912; Shannon Diversity Index (H'): 1.609437912

Example 2: Uneven Distribution

Number of Species (S): 5 species; Abundance of Species 1 (n1): 5 individuals; Abundance of Species 2 (n2): 10 individuals; Abundance of Species 3 (n3): 15 individuals; Abundance of Species 4 (n4): 25 individuals; Abundance of Species 5 (n5): 45 individuals

Total Number of Individuals (N): 100 individuals; Proportion of Species 5 (p5): 0.45; Proportion of Species 4 (p4): 0.25; Proportion of Species 3 (p3): 0.15; Proportion of Species 2 (p2): 0.1; Proportion of Species 1 (p1): 0.05; ln(p5): -0.7985076962; ln(p4): -1.386294361; ln(p3): -1.897119985; ln(p2): -2.302585093; ln(p1): -2.995732274; Shannon Diversity Index (H'): 1.370515174

Example 3: Single Dominant Species

Number of Species (S): 5 species; Abundance of Species 1 (n1): 80 individuals; Abundance of Species 2 (n2): 5 individuals; Abundance of Species 3 (n3): 5 individuals; Abundance of Species 4 (n4): 5 individuals; Abundance of Species 5 (n5): 5 individuals

Total Number of Individuals (N): 100 individuals; Proportion of Species 5 (p5): 0.05; Proportion of Species 4 (p4): 0.05; Proportion of Species 3 (p3): 0.05; Proportion of Species 2 (p2): 0.05; Proportion of Species 1 (p1): 0.8; ln(p5): -2.995732274; ln(p4): -2.995732274; ln(p3): -2.995732274; ln(p2): -2.995732274; ln(p1): -0.2231435513; Shannon Diversity Index (H'): 0.7776612958

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