Franklin Pierce College Ecological and Evolutionary Processes Paper

Now it is time to calculate biodiversity and show me what you understand about the ecological and evolutionary processes that shape this rocky intertidal community! The common method for estimating diversity is the Shannon’s diversity index. This website 

<https://www.tutorialspoint.com/statistics/shannon_…> https://www.tutorialspoint.com/statistics/shannon_…

gives a simple example for how to calculate the index.  H max is the maximum value given a perfectly even community

Table #1: Transect A

Species name

% cover

Chthamalus dalli

43%

Conspicuous chiton

5%

Anthopluera sola

2%

Megastraea Undosa

10%

Chondracanthus canaliculatus

10%

Mytilus californianus

10%

Lottia scabra

10%

Petrospongium rugosum

3%

Nuttallina californica

7%

Table #2: Transect B

Species name

% cover

Chthamalus dalli

43%

Mytilus californianus

10%

Conspicuous chiton

2%

Ulva Californica

20%

Chondracanthus canaliculatus

20%

Anthopluera sola

5%

For this assignment you will submit:

Results section

• The final data set you used for your calculations.
• Choose 1 of the transects and draw an interaction web of all of the species found in the transect.  Each line connecting two species should be labeled with their ecological interaction (predation, competition, mutualism, facilitation, or parasitism.
• Your calculations for Shannon’s index for each transect, the theoretical maximum for each transect, and the average of both transects.

Discussion section (no less than 500 words)

Your discussion should be written in an essay format and should cover the ecological and evolutionary processes that affect the diversity of this community. You will need to use the primary literature to help you with this section. You can use any of the five papers in the rocky intertidal teaching activity, but you will be able to draw better conclusions if you also use primary literature that is more specific to the species you found. 

You must do the following 

• What interspecific interactions are most dominant in this community? How do you know? How do these interactions affect diversity? Do they increase it, decrease it, or have negligible effects? What selection pressures (abiotic and biotic) have shaped the behavior of species in this community? How do these behaviors and phylogenetic constraints impact the strength of interactions? What are the implications for this community?
• The species and their % cover in the sampling transects are accurate.The web includes all of the possible ecological interactions in 1 transect.All calculations are accurate.
• The ecological and evolutionary processes that influence the biodiversity of the rocky intertidal community are explored and supported with at least 3 primary literature sources. Detail from the literature is well explained and there is a clear connection to the specific species observed in the transect. If the literature focuses on species not found in the transect, there is a clear explanation of why the information is applicable.