Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Simpson's Diversity Index is a measure used by ecologists to quantify biodiversity in an area. It takes into account both richness (number) and evenness (distribution) among species present in an area.
Related terms
Species Richness: The number of different species represented in an ecological community.
Species Evenness: How close in numbers each species in an environment is.
Biodiversity Index: A quantitative measure used to assess the richness and/or evenness of biodiversity in a location.