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Question
A species-area curve is drawn by plotting the number of species against the area. How is it that when a very large area is considered the slope is steeper than that for smaller areas?
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Solution
Ecologists have discovered that the value of Z (slope of the line) lies in the range of 0.1 to 0.2, regardless of the taxonomic group or the region (whether it is the plants in Britain, birds in California or molluscs in New York state, the slopes of the regression line are amazingly similar). But, if you analyse the species-area relationships among very large areas like the entire continents, you will find that the slope of the line is much steeper (Z values in the range of 0.6 to 1.2). For example, for frugivorous (fruit-eating) birds and mammals in the tropical forests of different continents, the slope is found to be 1.15.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
The following graph shows the species-area relationship. Answer the following questions as directed.
(a) Name the naturalist who studied the kind of relationship shown in the graph. Write the observations made by him.
(b) Write the situations as discovered by the ecologists when the value of ‘Z’
(Slope of the line) lies between:
- 0.1 and 0.2
- 0.6 and 1.2
What does ‘Z’ stand for?
(c) When would the slope of the line ‘b’ become steeper?
Observe the graph and select the correct option:
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