In order to assess the species diversity of a community, you would need to know the number of different species present as well as . In order to assess the species diversity of a community, you would need to know the number of different species present as well as . the fraction of these species that are plants the intensity of interspecific competition in the community the number of trophic levels in the community the relative abundance of the different species

In order to assess the species diversity of a community, one would need to know the number of different species present as well as the relative abundance of the different species

Species diversity is a function of species richness, the number of species in a given locality and species evenness, the degree to which the relative abundances of species are similar
The composition of species in a given ecosystem is the result of long lasting evolution
Each species has adapted to its own niche, which is characterized by certain features (e.g. temperature range, availability of food or light) enabling the species to reproduce and thus maintain its population
The loss of one species affects many other species and causes imbalance
As a result, several functions within and of the system are not carried out any more
Any species that will take over the lost specie's niche will most certainly not replace all of the functions it used to perform