Plant distribution patterns impact species diversity indices, changing conservation strategies.
The study looked at how different ways plants are spread out affect the number and variety of plant species in an area. Researchers simulated random, uniform, and clumped plant distributions, then counted the number of species and calculated diversity and evenness measures. They found that the type of distribution pattern significantly influenced the richness, diversity, and evenness of plant species. The Shannon-Wiener index was best for rare species, while Simpson's index was better for dominant species.