Anna Swenson

Mrs. Norris
AP Environmental Science
3 October 2014
Leaf Litter Lab: Preformed by Anna Swenson, Caroline Corrigan and Jared David
The biodiversity of a habitat shows how healthy that area is. How do you calculate the
biodiversity of a sample? The biodiversity depends on the richness (number of species per
sample) and the evenness (measure of the amount of each species). If a habitats richness and
evenness are increasing then the biodiversity will also increase. To calculate the diversity of an
area one must use the Simpsons index formula to determine the probability that two individuals
randomly selected from a sample will belong to the same species. After the value of the
biodiversity is calculated, the closer the number is to zero the higher the biodiversity. The
independent variable was the sample taken in the trails of Heritage high school and the
dependent variable is the amount of biodiversity calculated after performing the lab. If we take
leaf samples from the trails behind Heritage High school, then there will be a high biodiversity
between .3-0 because the ecosystem is healthy and rich.
To perform this experiment the supplies needed are, a compound microscope, Berlese
funnel, leaf little, alcohol and a source of light. First collect a sample of leaf litter from top layer
down to the soil. Secondly, examine the sample and classify what you see the layer is composed
of. Thirdly, place the sample into the Berlese funnel under the light source and place a small
beaker of alcohol under the funnel. The macro-invertebrates will deter away from the light
source and fall through the bottom of the funnel into the beaker of alcohol. Then, after a day,
collect beaker and examine organisms you have collected under the microscopes. Record the
data of the different species and uses Simpsons index to calculated the biodiversity.
D=
()()()
()
D=.1

Species Name Quantity
Japygid 1
Psocid 1
Centipede 1
Isopod 1
Millipede 2
Ant 3
Spider 3


The data above shows the forested area behind Heritage High School is very diverse with
a Simpsons biodiversity of a .1. Through the leaf litter sample we found one of four of the
1 1 1 1
2
3 3
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
Japygid Psocid Centipede Isopod Millipede Ant Spider
A
m
o
u
n
t
s

f
o
u
n
d

Organisms
Biodiversity
species creating an increase in the evenness, contributing to the high biodiversity in the area.
Also having both the same number of spiders and ants (3) added to the increase in the
biodiversity of the sample. When pouring the alcohol solution into the petri dish, it is hard to see
the organisms in the solution. But, when the petri dish is put under the microscope many
organisms become clear. The bugs crawled to the bottom of the funnel to simulate the moist
ground and the diverting away from the sun light. This process led to the macro-invertebrates
falling into the alcohol solution. The biodiversity of the leaf litter of Heritage High school was
very high being a .1. This area has a high biodiversity because it is a primary succession and is
healthy.
Calculating biodiversity is important because it can be used in comparison to show
effects overtime in a habitat. For example, in the rainforests calculating biodiversity years ago till
now would show the negative ways humans have impacted the ecosystem by cutting down trees
and decreasing the biodiversity of that area. An environmental scientist would have to sample the
same area multiple times then spread over the land comparing the samples from around the
woods. Many factors would contribute to the biodiversity being high or lower even 15 yards
away, such as closer to a water source or river. Biodiversity measures the health of an ecosystem.
Works Cited
"Lab Report Rubric." Wake County, n.d. Web.
<https%3A%2F%2Fdrive.google.com%2Ffile%2Fd%2F0B1zpG8NfJrpVYlF2a0tlcl9pUUk%2Fedit>.