Assertion : Alpha diversity is said to be higher if the dissimilarity between communities is higher
Reason : Alpha diversity is a measure of diversity between the communities

Options

A. If both the assertion and the reason are true and the reason is a correct explanation of the assertion
B. If both the assertion and reason are true but the reason is not a correct explanation of the assertion
C. If the assertion is true but the reason is false
D. If both the assertion and reason are false

Explanation

To analyze the given assertion and reason, we will break down the concepts of alpha diversity and beta diversity step by step.

### Step 1: Understanding Alpha Diversity
Alpha diversity refers to the diversity of species within a particular community or ecosystem. It measures the richness (number of different species) and evenness (distribution of individuals among those species) within that community.

**Hint:** Remember that alpha diversity is focused on a single community, not between multiple communities.

### Step 2: Analyzing the Assertion
The assertion states that "Alpha diversity is said to be higher if the dissimilarity between communities is higher." This is incorrect because alpha diversity does not measure dissimilarity between communities; it measures diversity within a single community.

**Hint:** Think about whether the statement refers to one community or multiple communities.

### Step 3: Understanding Beta Diversity
Beta diversity, on the other hand, refers to the comparison of diversity between different communities. It measures how dissimilar two or more communities are in terms of species composition.

**Hint:** Beta diversity is the term you should associate with comparing different communities.

### Step 4: Analyzing the Reason
The reason states that "Alpha diversity is a measure of diversity between the communities." This is also incorrect because alpha diversity specifically pertains to diversity within a single community, not between communities.

**Hint:** Focus on the definitions of alpha and beta diversity to clarify their distinctions.

### Step 5: Conclusion
Since both the assertion and the reason are incorrect, we conclude that the correct answer is that both statements are false.

**Final Answer:** Both the assertion and the reason are false.