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The results of research conducted during the Project
have allowed the calculation of a biodiversity
index for aquatic plants and certain animals. The biodiversity
index reflects both diversity and abundance.
The index values that were calculated are shown
here on bar graphs. The bars have been coloured. These colours indicate
an evaluation of the value. The colour green indicates biodiversity
is good, yellow indicates moderate biodiversity, and red indicates
poor biodiversity.
Whether by value (a number) or by evaluation (a
colour), you can compare the status of a single category (e.g. fish)
in the different sections of the Rideau River.
You should not compare the values of different
categories because the range of each category's scale is specific
to the category. Some categories have a smaller range, so the values
for some categories will be consistently lower than those calculated
for other categories. A "low" value, however, does not
necessarily mean biodiversity is poor. For example, because there
are naturally fewer mussel species than fish species, the values
calculated for mussels will always be lower than those for fish.
Within the range appropriate to mussels, the value that was calculated
might reflect that mussel biodiversity is good. This evaluation
is indicated by the colour of the bar.
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