5 Questions
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth, including genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity.
Where is biodiversity usually greater and why?
Biodiversity is usually greater in the tropics due to the warm climate and high primary productivity near the equator.
Where do tropical forest ecosystems cover and how much of earth's surface do they occupy?
Tropical forest ecosystems cover less than 10% of earth's surface.
Where is marine biodiversity usually higher and why?
Marine biodiversity is usually higher along coasts in the Western Pacific, where sea surface temperature is highest, and in the mid-latitudinal band in all oceans.
What are the primary factors that will likely slow down biodiversity in the future?
Deforestation is a primary factor that will likely slow down biodiversity in the future.
Study Notes
What is Biodiversity
- Biodiversity refers to the variety of different species of plants, animals, and microorganisms that live in an ecosystem or on Earth as a whole
Factors Affecting Biodiversity
- Biodiversity is usually greater near the equator and decreases as you move towards the poles
- Reasons for higher biodiversity near the equator include:
- Warm and humid climate
- High levels of rainfall
- Long period of isolation, allowing species to evolve independently
Tropical Forest Ecosystems
- Cover about 6-7% of the Earth's surface
- Found near the equator, with the largest tropical forests located in the Amazon and Congo river basins
- Characterized by high temperatures, high levels of rainfall, and a dense canopy layer
Marine Biodiversity
- Highest in coral reef ecosystems, which are found in shallow, tropical waters
- Coral reefs support a vast array of species, including fish, invertebrates, and algae
- High biodiversity in coral reefs is due to the complexity of the reef structure, which provides a variety of habitats for different species
Threats to Biodiversity
- Primary factors that will likely slow down biodiversity in the future include:
- Habitat destruction and fragmentation
- Climate change, which alters species' distributions and disrupts ecosystem processes
- Overexploitation of resources, such as overfishing and overhunting
- Pollution, which can alter ecosystem processes and reduce species' fitness
Test your knowledge about biodiversity with this quiz! Explore the concepts of genetic variability, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity, and learn about the uneven distribution of biodiversity on Earth.
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