Question

The latitudinal gradient describes a pattern where species richness is highest in which geographic region?

Options

• The temperate zones between 40°N and 40°S

• The tropics, between 23.5°N and 23.5°S

• The polar regions north of 66.5°N and south of 66.5°S

• All latitudes equally

Answer 1

The latitudinal gradient is defined as the pattern in which species richness is highest in the tropics and decreases towards the poles. The tropical belt lies approximately between 23.5°N and 23.5°S latitude, where regions contain significantly more species than temperate or polar regions.