Hello, I would like to compare biodiversity at two sites over a three-year period. We have two plots—one urban and the other peripheral. In both plots, 17 species were initially planted, although with slightly different abundances. Over three years, the number of species and their frequencies were recorded once a year. Species that migrated in were regularly removed, so the maximum number of species is known.
Now, for each site, the goal is to describe how biodiversity developed over the three years. Ideally, both sites should be compared.
I was considering using the Shannon Index and Simpson Evenness for this.
Does that make sense?
Can the two sites even be compared if the initial number of individuals wasn’t the same?
What would you recommend in terms of statistical analysis?
Thank you very much!
