Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
Which of the following ecosystems would be predicted to have the highest species richness based on the latitudinal and species-area principles?
Options
A large polar tundra ecosystem
A small tropical island at the equator
A small temperate forest at 45° latitude
A large tropical rainforest near the equator
Advertisements
Solution
Based on the latitudinal gradient principle, tropical regions near the equator have the highest species richness. Additionally, the species-area relationship indicates that larger areas support greater biodiversity. A large tropical rainforest near the equator combines both advantages: favorable tropical conditions for speciation and habitat diversity plus the greater size to support maximum species richness, making it the ecosystem predicted to have the highest species richness.
