Assignment 2
Simulation Exercise

Calculate Simpson’s  and Shannon-  Wiener’s diversity indices  for the
two  data sets  given below.  These are  your ‘true’  values. Generate
random  samples   of  various  sizes   from  each  of   the  following
distributions.   For each  simulated sample,  calculate  (i) Simpson’s
index  and (ii)  Shannon  Wiener  index of  diversity.  There are  two
questions: what is the minimum sample  size to insure that (a) bias is
negligible and (b) mean squared error is small.


                             WADERS
SPECIES                      NO. RINGED     %

Little stint                     46,000    50
Curlew sandpiper                 17,000    16
Ruff & reeve                     10,300    10
Lesser sand plover                7,400     7
Spotted sand piper                6,200     6
All others (49 species)                    11


SPECIES                      NO. RINGED

Brahminy kite                       586
Central Asian shikra                 48
Pale harrier                         10
West Himalayan sparrow hawk           9
Asiatic sparrow hawk                  8
Marsh harrier                         6
White eyed buzzard                    4
Tawny eagle                           4
European kestrel                      3
Black kite                            3
Black winged kite                     2
Goshawk                               2
Lizard hawk                           1
Pied harrier                          1
Short toed eagle                      1
Crested serpent eagle                 1
Total                               689