Systems made of parts that are totally connected do not work, neither ecosystems nor artifacts. Relative connectance is inversely related to diversity, and both magnitudes can find a common frame of expression, in which some constant expressing the constraints of any organization might be embodied. If S is Simpson's index, the expression (1 - S)/S as a measure of diversity offers some advantages or, at least, helps further reasoning. Such expression is the ratio between total interspecific possible interactions and possible intraspecific interactions.
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Margalef et al. (1983) studied this question.
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