Description

A measure of the overall species diversity within a landscape or geographic area, obtained by multiplying alpha diversity and beta diversity (where alpha diversity is the number of species, and beta diversity is the variety of species in an area).

Adapted from Whittaker 1972  ¹

Scientific Definition: Richness in species of a range of habitats (a landscape, or geographic area, an island) is a gamma diversity and is consequent on the alpha diversity of the individual communities and the range of differentiation or beta diversity among them.

Whittaker, 1972  ¹