Question

What is the observed latitudinal gradient of biodiversity? Define three hypotheses that explain the latitudinal gradient.

Answer 1

   LATITUDE GRADIENT BIODIVERSITY

                  Latitudinal gradient of biotechnology are biogeographic patterns that quantify the ways in which taxonomic,phylogenetic,functional,genetic or phenetic biodiversity change with latitudinal position on surface of the Earth.

           The main three hypothesis among five hypothesis explains Latitudinal gradient of biodiversity

• Climate harshness hypothesis : States the latitudinal gradient diversity that may exist simply because fewer species can physiologically tolerate conditions at higher latitudes than at lower latitudes because higher latitudes are often colder and drier than tropical latitudes.
• Climate stability hypothesis    : A flucuating environment may increase extinction rate or preclude specialization , a constant environment can allow species to specialze on predictable resources aloowing them to have narrowing niches and facilitating speciation
• Species energy hypothesis      : Amount of available energy sets limits to richness of the system.Thus increased solar energy(with abundance water)at low altitudes causes increase in net primary productivity (photosynthesis)