What is rank abundance curve?

Rank abundance curve is a graphical representation of the relative abundance of each species in a community, plotted against the rank order of abundance. It is commonly used in ecology to visualize the distribution of species in a community and can provide insights into the diversity and evenness of the community.

The curve typically shows a decreasing pattern, with a few dominant species at the top of the curve and many rare species at the bottom. The steepness of the curve can indicate the evenness of the community - a steep curve indicates low evenness, where a few dominant species make up a large proportion of the community, while a shallow curve indicates higher evenness with more equally distributed abundance among species.

Rank abundance curves can be used to compare the diversity of different communities, track changes in community composition over time, and assess the impact of disturbances on ecosystems. They are a valuable tool in ecological research for quantifying and visualizing species diversity and distribution.