WATER QUALITY--Measurement and Use of Diversity Indices for Biological Samples


In Reply Refer To:                       February 10, 1982
EGS-Mail Stop 412


QUALITY OF WATER BRANCH TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM NO. 82.07

Subject: WATER QUALITY--Measurement and Use of Diversity 
                        Indices for Biological Samples

During the early to mid-1970's, the use of diversity indices 
for characterizing biological communities was widespread. As 
advances in statistical techniques were realized, many 
persons debated the validity of the indices and the 
significance of their meanings. The topic has been discussed 
periodically by the WRD Task Group on Biology and 
Microbiology. In view of the mounting evidence regarding the 
uncertainties of the usefulness and meaning of diversity 
indices and of the uncertainties about which index is most 
universally applicable to the data collected by the WRD, the 
Central Laboratories System will discontinue the routine 
reporting of diversity indices with laboratory results. This 
change does not preclude the calculation and use of diversity 
indices in project activities by project personnel.

Enclosed for your information is an up-to-date statement 
concerning the "Measurement and use of diversity indices for 
biological samples in water-quality programs" by Keith Slack, 
Research Advisor for Ecology. Please note in particular the 
recommendations stated in the paper. You also are referred 
to the briefing paper on "Species diversity and its 
measurernent" by R. C. Averett (1981, in Greeson, Phillip E. 
(ed.), Biota and biological parameters as environmental 
indicators: Geological Survey Circular 848-B, p. B3-B6).



                      R. J. Pickering
                      Chief, Quality of Water Branch

Attachment

WRD Distribution: A, B, FO-LS, PO

Key words: water quality, aquatic biology, data handling, 
           diversity index, species diversity, statistics

This memorandum does not supersede any previous memorandum.

(This memorandum was superseded by QWB Technical 
Memorandum No. 85.10.)