Enter the total number of species and the total number of species population into the calculator to determine the relative abundance. This calculator can also evaluate the number of specific or total sum of all species when given the other variables.
Relative Abundance Formula
The following formula is used to calculate the relative abundance of species in an area.
RA = TS / TP *100
- Where RA is the relative abundance of species (%)
- TS is the total number of species in an area
- TP is the total sum of the populations of all species in the area
To calculate a relative abundance, divide the total number of species in an area by the total sum of all populations of species in an area, then multiply by 100.
Relative Abundance Definition
What is relative abundance? A relative abundance is a ratio of the total number of species in an area to the total population of all species in the area. In other words, it shows the proportion of the number of individual species to the total population.
Relative Abundance Example Problem
How to calculate relative abundance?
- First, determine the number of species in the area.
For this example, we will assume that there are 10 species in an area of 1 square mile.
- Next, determine the total sum of the populations of those species.
For this problem, after adding up all of the populations, we find there are 100 total individual organisms.
- Finally, calculate the relative abundance.
Using the formula above, we can find the relative abundance. RA = 10/100*100 = 10% RA.
About Relative Abundance
Is relative abundance a percentage? Relative abundance is often expressed as a percentage, but at it’s core, it’s simply a ratio of one number to another. That ratio, just like any ratio, can be expressed as a percentage to help with visualizing the data.
