Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth, including all living organisms like plants, animals, and microorganisms. Unfortunately, human activities can have a big impact on biodiversity. But fear not, fellow environmental enthusiasts! We have exciting ways to assess these changes and understand how they affect our beautiful planet.

Imagine you have a magical tool to measure changes in biodiversity - that's what biodiversity indices are! They help us understand how human activities can disturb the habitats of various organisms. When habitats are disturbed, it affects the "realized niches" of organisms. A niche is like a home and job combined for a species. If it changes, it can lead to some serious consequences.

When habitats get disturbed, the "realized niches" of organisms get squished, and some species may need to find new homes or even jobs! This can create an overlap of niches, causing a fierce competition for resources. Imagine you and your best friend both love playing video games on the same computer, but there's only one controller. That's competition!

Simplifying habitats is like having a party where only one type of music is played - it's less fun for everyone! This simplification can reduce biodiversity because some species may dominate the party, leaving less room for others. Think of it like this: if you have only cheeseburgers at a party, some guests who prefer salads might leave.