Question

Which of the following statements about biodiversity is incorrect?

• A. Number of species in tropics is greater than number of species in polar regions.
• B. Number of species of vascular plants in a forest in Midwest USA is greater than the number of species of vascular plants in Equador.
• C. Number of species in India is greater than number of species in Norway.
• D. Number of bird species in Columbia is greater than number of bird species in New York.

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

The diversity of plants and animals is not uniform throughout the world but shows a rather uneven distribution. In general, species diversity decreases as we move away from the equator towards the poles. With very few exceptions, tropics (latitudinal range of 23.5° N to 23.5° S) harbour more species than temperate or polar areas. Colombia located near the equator has nearly 1,400 species of birds while New York at 41° N has 105 species and Greenland at 71° N only 56 species. India, with much of its land area in the tropical latitudes, has more than 1,200 species of birds. A forest in a tropical region like Equador has up to 10 times as many species of vascular plants as a forest of equal area in a temperate region like the Midwest of the USA. At the ecosystem level, India, for instance, with its deserts, rain forests, mangroves, coral reefs, wetlands, estuaries, and alpine meadows has a greater ecosystem diversity than a Scandinavian country like Norway.