The results of an assessment of the ecological state of zoobenthos communities according to the difference of evenness index (D E′ )

The difference of the evenness index (DE′) is offered for an assessment of the ecological state of zoobenthos communities. The index is deduced on the basis of the Shannon indexes calculated according to abundance and biomass data and differentiates between these informational estimations (Shannon diversity) of evenness of species in any given community. Conclusions made by Pianka about the predomination of organisms with r and K life strategy in communities impacted and unimpacted by ecological stress, as well as the ABC-curves method suggested by Warwick, were used as the basis of the functioning mechanism for the suggested index. The examples of index applicability are demonstrated by an assessment of materials collected in freshwater, estuarine, and marine waterbodies during one-time surveys and long-term monitoring observations. The results are compared with zoobenthos assessments made on the basis of some other indexes. Conclusions concerning the efficiency of the DE′ have been made and some of its advantages over other indexes are shown.