Species richness is a measure of the number of different species in a community
Species richness tells you how many different species live in a community. A woodland with 40 different plant species has a higher species richness than one with only 10.
Real World
A 2019 survey of British hedgerows found that ancient hedgerows had a species richness of around 12 woody plant species per 30-metre stretch, compared to just 2–3 in modern farm-planted hedges.
Exam Focus
Species richness counts species only — never mention abundance or evenness when defining it, or you will lose marks.
Evaluation Scaffold
A four-step framework for high-quality evaluation. Use this for 'assess', 'evaluate', and 'to what extent' questions.
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