How to compare diversity between different ecosystems?

Question

I've used the Shannon Wiener Diversity Index for a single ecosystem (species as categorical variables). Do you know any alternative indices, especially ones that compare diversity between different samples/ecosystems ?

Answer 1

I have used Simpson's Diversity Index in a study analyzing biodiversity in stream segments. This takes into account species composition and abundance.

You could also look into the Jaccard similarity index which looks specifically at similarity in presence/absence of species. It is essentially a measure of how large the middle section of a venn diagram is.