included in any R package but it is provided as an online appendix of a synthesis
paper by de Bello et al. (2010). All indices computed by this function are based on
the Rao quadratic entropy, corresponding in the taxonomic case to (inverse)
Simpson diversity. We shall present an application of this function to taxonomic,
phylogenetic and functional diversity of the fish communities of the Doubs River in
Sect. 8.5.
Now, a number is still. . . only a number. Beta diversity expresses itself across the
area under study by the variation in species composition and abundance among all
sites. Therefore, one can study beta diversity in much more detail by analysing the
data matrix itself, using different approaches. The following sections are devoted to
this family of approaches.
8.4.2 Beta Diversity as the Variance of the Community
Composition Table: SCBD and LCBD Indices
8.4.2.1 Introduction
Beta diversity reflects the processes that generate and maintain the variety of living
communities in a region. Therefore, it is of great importance to ecologists, and a
large corpus of literature is devoted to its definition and measurement. This section
2
4
6
0
5
10
15
20
Order of the diversity measure
Multiplicative beta diversity
Fig. 8.3 Multiplicative beta diversity of the fish communities as a function of the order of the
diversity index. Error bars represent standard errors computed by bootstrap
382
8 Community Diversity
paper by de Bello et al. (2010). All indices computed by this function are based on
the Rao quadratic entropy, corresponding in the taxonomic case to (inverse)
Simpson diversity. We shall present an application of this function to taxonomic,
phylogenetic and functional diversity of the fish communities of the Doubs River in
Sect. 8.5.
Now, a number is still. . . only a number. Beta diversity expresses itself across the
area under study by the variation in species composition and abundance among all
sites. Therefore, one can study beta diversity in much more detail by analysing the
data matrix itself, using different approaches. The following sections are devoted to
this family of approaches.
8.4.2 Beta Diversity as the Variance of the Community
Composition Table: SCBD and LCBD Indices
8.4.2.1 Introduction
Beta diversity reflects the processes that generate and maintain the variety of living
communities in a region. Therefore, it is of great importance to ecologists, and a
large corpus of literature is devoted to its definition and measurement. This section
2
4
6
0
5
10
15
20
Order of the diversity measure
Multiplicative beta diversity
Fig. 8.3 Multiplicative beta diversity of the fish communities as a function of the order of the
diversity index. Error bars represent standard errors computed by bootstrap
382
8 Community Diversity