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The relationship between diversity profiles, evenness and species richness based on partial ordering

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Abstract

Problems with the notion of evenness, such as ambiguity, proliferation of indices, choice of indices, etc. can be overcome by a more fundamental, mathematical approach. We show that the Lorenz curve is an adequate representation of evenness. The corresponding Lorenz order induces a partial order in the set of equivalent abundance vectors. Also diversity can adequately be studied through a partial order and represented by a curve derived from the classical Lorenz curve. This curve is known as the intrinsic diversity profile (or k-dominance curve) and was introduced by Patil and Taillie (1979) and Lambshead et al. (1981).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Informatie- en Bibliotheekwetenschap, UIA, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610, Wilrijk, Belgium; and

    Ronald Rousseau

  2. Department of Industrial Sciences and Technology, KHBO, Zeedijk 101, B-8400, Oostende, Belgium

    Ronald Rousseau

  3. Department of Biology, Laboratory of Plant Ecology, UIA, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610, Wilrijk, Belgium

    Piet Van Hecke & Jan Bogaert

  4. Wildbroekstraat 14, B–3700, Tongeren, Belgium

    David NIjssen

Authors
  1. Ronald Rousseau
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  2. Piet Van Hecke
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  3. David NIjssen
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  4. Jan Bogaert
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Correspondence to Piet Van Hecke.

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Rousseau, R., Van Hecke, P., NIjssen, D. et al. The relationship between diversity profiles, evenness and species richness based on partial ordering. Environmental and Ecological Statistics 6, 211–223 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009626406418

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009626406418

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