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Question
Give three hypotheses for explaining why tropics show greatest levels of species richness.
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Solution
Such hypotheses are as follows:
- Speciation is generally a function of time. Temperate regions have been subjected to repeated glaciation since ancient times, while tropical latitudes have been undisturbed for millions of years. Hence, there has been a longer time for species evolution and diversification.
- The tropical environment is different from the temperate environment and shows fewer seasonal changes. This stable environment has encouraged niche specialisation, which has led to greater species diversity.
- More solar energy is available in tropical regions, which leads to greater productivity, indirectly leading to more extraordinary biodiversity.
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