Shannon Wiener Diversity Index Calculator

The Shannon Wiener Diversity Index (H') is a measure used in ecology to quantify the diversity of species in a community. It takes into account both the number of species present and the relative abundance of each species.

Input Parameters

Calculation Results

Calculation Formula

H' = - Σ ( (pi * ln(pi)) )

Where:
H' = Shannon Wiener Diversity Index
pi = proportion of individuals belonging to species i
ln = natural logarithm

Shannon Wiener Diversity Index Calculator Usage Guide

Learn how to use the Shannon Wiener Diversity Index Calculator and its working principles

How to Use the Calculator

  1. Enter the count of each species in the community. If you have more than 5 species, click the "Add Another Species" button.
  2. Click the "Calculate" button to compute the Shannon Wiener Diversity Index.
  3. The result will be displayed in the Shannon Wiener Index (H') field.
  4. If you want to start over, click the "Reset" button.

Understanding the Shannon Wiener Diversity Index

The Shannon Wiener Diversity Index (H') is a measure that takes into account both the number of species present (richness) and the relative abundance of each species in a community. It provides a single value that represents the diversity of the community.

The formula for the Shannon Wiener Index is:

H' = - Σ ( (pi * ln(pi)) )

Where:

  • H' is the Shannon Wiener Diversity Index.
  • pi is the proportion of individuals belonging to species i (species i count / total count).
  • ln is the natural logarithm.

A higher Shannon Wiener Index indicates a more diverse community. This index is widely used in ecological studies to compare the biodiversity of different habitats or to assess changes in biodiversity over time.