Biodiversity of bacterial populations can be measured. If a
population of organisms is compared with itself on a point to
point basis, diversity might be observed as an overall lack of
similarity.

The program COMPARE.BAS can score similarities within a
population by using the same filename for both files requested.
In such a comparison, the resulting score could be treated as
inversely proportional to the biodiversity of the population. 
 When the comparison score of a population under study    
is subtracted from the mean for a set of populations' scores and
the result divided by the standard deviation of the set's mean,  

               (m-s)/sd


the signed result is now a relative index of diversity for these
populations. This was attempted for the Lake of the White Roses
bacterial results, as well as a group of caves in New York,
Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts, Colorado, and Romania.
Additional tests were done on bacterial populations found in
different types of meteoric waters, some in calcitic aquafers,
and others consisting on collected surface runoff. 

The cave comparison is presented here in order of decreasing diversity:

Movile (early) RO           2.45   (Sulfur cycle - near virgin)
Howe C. NY 1993             0.79   (Heavily touristed - stream conduit)
Manitou Springs C. CO       0.63   (heavily mineralized)
Mount Anthony C. VT         0.61   (surface stream insurgance)
Howe C. NY 1992             0.33   (Heavily touristed - stream conduit)
Surprise C. NY              0.12   (treated sewer runs through)
LWR Lechuguilla C. NM      -0.24   (Scuba penetration)
Bass Smith Resurg NY       -0.41   (unopened cave - possibly sewer)
Bashful Lady C. CT         -0.50   (swamp drainage runs through)
Dolo C MA                  -0.54   (surface stream pirated at high flow)
Schoharie caverns NY       -0.77   (stream conduit - resurgence)
Movile (late) RO           -0.87   (sulfur cycle - after several scuba)
Grahm Mountain C. NY       -1.53   (bat colony)


It would seem that isolation of a cave biome enhances
biodiversity (Movile, early), while "contamination" by human and
animal activity will cause both increses and decreases in the
relative levels. (Howe and Grahm Mtn).

The scores are relative to only the caves included in this grouping.

It is too early in this research to draw specific conclusions as
yet.  Clearly, more collections need to be included in the study.