Biodiversity study seeks to answer why more animal and plant species are found in the tropics (phys.org)

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An international research group led by Tel Aviv University and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev tried to answer the centuries-long question: why there are more animal and plant species in the tropics?

In the most comprehensive study to this date on species richness of land vertebrates, the researchers explored patterns in the number of species—all across the world—using comprehensive data for tens of thousands of species of amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles.

The researchers highlighted again the dominance of tropical regions close to the equator as centers of high biodiversity. When investigating the reasons behind these patterns, they found that the combination of climate and topography was key in explaining them.

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this post was submitted on 16 Jan 2024

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Biodiversity

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A community about the variety of life on Earth at all levels; including plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi.

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Biodiversity is a term used to describe the enormous variety of life on Earth. It can be used more specifically to refer to all of the species in one region or ecosystem. Biodiversity refers to every living thing, including plants, bacteria, animals, and humans. Scientists have estimated that there are around 8.7 million species of plants and animals in existence. However, only around 1.2 million species have been identified and described so far, most of which are insects. This means that millions of other organisms remain a complete mystery.

Over generations, all of the species that are currently alive today have evolved unique traits that make them distinct from other species. These differences are what scientists use to tell one species from another. Organisms that have evolved to be so different from one another that they can no longer reproduce with each other are considered different species. All organisms that can reproduce with each other fall into one species. Read more...

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