A strategy for measuring landscape biodiversity

Biological diversity can be quantitatively expressed from different perspectives depending on the aspect (or function) of biodiversity under study and on the spatial and temporal scales at which the study is carried out. In this article I propose that the study of species diversity be done at the landscape or mesoscale level. I feel that the consequences of human activities (community modification and fragmentation) are most evident at this level. These consequences may appear disproportionate in analyses carried out from an ecological perspective (α diversity). I propose concrete actions to achieve the defined objectives; that is, a strategy that seeks to generate results that are comparable and that permits one to draw general conclusions. The goal of this strategy is to express alpha, beta and gamma diversity together on the scale of landscape through the use of indicator groups. I specify the requirements that the implementation of the strategy must meet and some of the applications of the latter.