A marine biology research team investigated the biodiversity of macroinvertebrates in three zones of a coastal estuary system undergoing adjacent land development:
Their findings are summarized in the graph below:
Based on this study, answer the following questions:
What data would the research team need to collect to calculate Simpson's index of diversity (ddd) for the macroinvertebrates in each habitat? Do not include sampling equipment in your answer.
State two procedures the researchers should have followed to ensure that the collected samples provided a representative measure of the diversity in each zone.
Urban development and coastal agricultural expansion often fragment wetlands, increasing the relative area of agricultural buffer zones at the expense of undisturbed marshes. Use the data in the graph to suggest how this land-use change affects macroinvertebrate biodiversity.
Coastal developers are being encouraged to establish and maintain restored tidal channels connecting isolated patches of salt marsh. Suggest and explain one ecological benefit of these tidal channels and one practical or economic disadvantage to a developer of maintaining them.
