Question

Describe the latitudinal gradient in species diversity that exist For most taxonomic groups. Discuss the pros and cons of one hypothesis to explain this pattern.

Answer 1

Latitudinal gradient in species diversity means that the species diversity is richer at lower latitudes whereas at the higher latitudes the species richness decreases.

One of the hypothesis that explain thus pattern is:

Species energy hypothesis:

This means that at lower latitudes solar energy is higher, resulting in higher net productivity to support higher number of individuals. However, one of the con is that increased number of individuals doesnt mean increased species richness and this eventually doesn't depend on the increased energy. This hypothesis suggests that since the productivity is high, extinction rates are low leading to increased species richness