Biodiversity patterns describe the range of living things that exist on the planet Earth and the way they are distributed. Various species, groups of people, places, habitats, biomes, ecosystems, and even the entire planet can display various patterns of biodiversity. Different biodiversity patterns exist on a global, local, and temporal scale.
- The variety of species is greatly influenced by variations in latitude and altitude.
- Globally, regionally, and over time, the biodiversity patterns change.
- Understanding how biodiversity is distributed globally is one of the most crucial objectives for ecologists and biogeographers.
- A rich gene pool is ensured by a rich biodiversity.
Also Read: Species Diversity
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Key terms: biodiversity, biodiversity pattern, ecosystem, latitude, altitude, latitudinal gradient, species richness, species, alpha diversity.
What is Biodiversity?
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The term "biodiversity," which is a short form of "biological diversity," refers to the sum of all the diversity and variability of life within a specific geographic region. The term biodiversity was coined to stress the numerous complex forms of differences that exist within and among organisms at different levels of organization. It alludes to the region's genes, animals, and ecosystem collectively.
Importance of Biodiversity
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Biodiversity creates the conditions and develops the processes that support the world economy and species' survival at the level of the ecosystem.
The benefits of services provided by ecosystem include:
- Ecosystem services include the upkeep of the atmosphere's gaseous composition, the regulation of the climate by oceanic and forest systems, insect and bird pollination of plants, and the cycle of nutrients.
- Prevention and mitigation of natural disasters, with the binding effect of their roots, forests and grasslands shield landscapes from landslides, erosion, and loss of nutrients.
- The medicinal capabilities of substances like morphine, quinine, and taxon can be found in abundance in biodiversity.
- A wide range of industrial materials are derived directly from biological resources. These include fibers, dyes, resins, gums, adhesives, rubber and oil.
Also read: Biodiversity and Conservation MCQ
Components and Gradients of Biodiversity
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Alpha, beta, and gamma diversity are the three concepts Whittaker (1972) defined for assessing biodiversity over spatial scales.
- The diversity found in a specific habitat or ecosystem is referred to as alpha diversity (within-habitats diversity).
- It is measured in terms of the number of species per square meter.
- Beta diversity is the term used to describe the comparison of species diversity between two environments or ecosystems (between-habitat diversity).
- Total species diversity in a landscape is known as gamma diversity (regional diversity).
Gradients
Latitude and altitude changes have an impact on biodiversity. The biological diversity rises as one moves from the poles to the equator and vice versa. One of the most well-known phenomena in Ecology is the rise in species richness that happens from the equator to the tropics.
- It is also known as the latitudinal gradient in species diversity.
- The biological variety also changes as a result of an altitudinal fluctuation.
- On a mountain, species variety decreases as it goes up in elevation.
- The temperature decreases by around 6.5°C for every 1000 meters of elevation gain.
- At higher elevations, there is a significant reduction in diversity due to the drop in temperature and increased seasonal unpredictability.
Components and Gradients of Biodiversity
Latitudinal Gradient
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Latitudinal gradients in species richness have been observed for a variety of taxonomic groups, including viruses, bacteria, plants, orthopods, and vertebrates. These gradients are repeated for local and regional assemblages and occur in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine realms. It is extremely variable, with sizable sections. Richness might be noticeably high or low compared to the general trend, with the peak frequently being offset from the equator.
Although there is no doubt that the positions of land and water masses and geographic pattern of environmental conditions have changed significantly, it is strongly suspected that the latitudinal gradient in species richness has been a persistent feature of life on Earth for much of its history.
The great majority of biological research has focused on organisms that are found in mid- to high-latitude environments.
Species Area Relationship
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According to Alexander von Humboldt, the amount of species in a place increases with more exploration, but only to a certain point. It must be emphasized that the area examined has a direct correlation with the species richness. Consequently, the likelihood of discovering new species rises in direct proportion to the size of the area being examined.
Over a large range of taxa, the relationship between species richness and area turns out to be a rectangular hyperbola.
The link is shown as a straight line on a logarithmic scale in the following equation:
log S = log C + Z log A
Where,
S = species richness.
A= Area
Z = slope of the line (regression coefficient)
C = Y-intercept
Also read: Red Data Book
Things to Remember
- Biodiversity pattern in a species refers to the biological diversity and their distribution.
- The term "biodiversity" means the overall amount of diversity present at all levels of biological organization.
- Latitude, altitude, and species-area interactions all affect the fundamental patterns of biodiversity.
- The result of both species richness and evenness or equity is species diversity.
- Alpha, Beta and Gamma diversity are the three concepts to assess biodiversity.
- latitudinal gradient in species richness has been a persistent feature of life.
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Sample Questions
Ques. Mention various biodiversity patterns? (1 mark)
Ans. Ecologists have noted that species change over time and vary both locally and globally.
- Species vary globally
- Species vary locally
- Species vary over time
Ques. Which patterns in biodiversity are the most well-known? (1 mark)
Ans. The latitudinal gradient pattern is the most well-known aspect of biodiversity.
It implies that biodiversity is greater at lower latitudes near the equator and less so at higher latitudes near the poles.
Ques. What equation describes the link between species and area? Write about the components involved in the equation. (2 marks)
Ans. Species-area relationship equation describes the link between species and area. The equation is mentioned below:
log S = log C + Z log A
Where,
S = Species richness
A= Area
Z = slope of the line (regression coefficient)
C = Y-intercept
Ques. What is biodiversity? (2 marks)
Ans. The term "biodiversity" refers to the diversity of life on Earth at all sizes, from genes to ecosystems. Biodiversity refers to the diversity in all biological organizations. It includes the diversity of all biotic factors in the ecosystem. The biological diversity in the ecosystem represents the variety in species and their interaction with each other.
Instead of being evenly dispersed across the globe, biodiversity varies with latitude and height.
Ques. Why do the tropics have the highest level of species diversity, and why? (4 marks)
Ans. There are three potential explanations for why there are so many species in the tropics.
Tropical latitudes receive more solar energy than temperate ones, which promotes high species variety and productivity.
Tropical regions have a more or less steady environment with less seasonal fluctuations. Because of this, niche specialization and high species richness are encouraged.
During the ice age, temperate regions experienced glaciations but tropical regions were left untouched, which increased the biological diversity in this region.
Ques. Explain why there are more species of biodiversity in tropical latitudes than in temperate ones by citing two explanations. (4 marks)
Ans. Because of a number of causes, it is commonly believed that the tropical zone has greater biodiversity than the temperate region.
The steady climate and temperature come first. Because of the harsh environment in the temperate region, it is extremely difficult for animals to thrive. For animals and species to survive, the tropical forest provides a stable ecosystem, an appropriate climate setting, and a favorable environment for reproduction. In comparison to the temperate zone, which has historically seen severe disasters, the tropical region has had significantly less changes over the course of evolution, giving them better stability and the species that have evolved there.
Ques. What is the importance of biodiversity? (5 marks)
Ans. The more diverse an area is, the more vital it is to the environment. So, the study of biodiversity may result in a variety of significant findings that benefit the entire world. Being ready also ensures that species can be preserved and that the ecosystem doesn't get any worse.
- It is essential to have a variety of living organisms in varied habitats. A great biodiversity ensures a rich gene pool.
- Biodiversity is also essential for maintaining healthy ecosystems, which in turn generate clean and healthy settings for us to live in.
- By examining changes in biodiversity at different sizes, it is possible to keep under control a species that may be on the verge of extinction.
- A variety of plants and animals provide the ecology with more oxygen.
Ques. What are the components of biodiversity? (2 marks)
Ans. The major components involve alpha, beta and gamma diversity. Alpha diversity is the diversity present in a certain area or ecosystem (within-habitats diversity). It is calculated as the variety of species per square meter. The phrase "beta diversity" refers to the comparison of species diversity between two ecosystems or settings (between-habitat diversity). Gamma diversity is the measure of all species diversity in a landscape (regional diversity).
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