A one-hectare pond is sampled in early September. The sample yields 1 small catfish as well as 17 benthic invertebrates that represent 10 species.
If the pond is resampled a year later, which of the following would best indicate that the pond had been adversely affected by adjacent development?

a.) an uncommon species has become more numerous
b.) an increase in low-tolerance species has occurred
c.) a decrease in high-tolerance species has occurred
d.) phylogenetic diversity has occurred
e.) the biodiversity of the pond has decreased

Biodiversity or biological diversity refers to the variety of living organisms in a particular area. It can be a measure of number of species of living organisms in that area. The more the number of species, the higher the diversity and vice versa.

Adjacent development close to the pond can be viewed as habitat disturbance. Habitat disturbance affects biodiversity in a number of ways including:

A shift in the species composition of the habitat
Outright extinction of certain species from the population

Overall, the species diversity become reduced as a result of a shift in species composition of extinction of some species. Hence, the best indicator of habitat disturbance is a decrease in biodiversity of the habitat.

The correct option is e.