Does latitude affect species richness?

Does latitude affect species richness?

Global scale analyses have recently revealed that the latitudinal gradient in marine species richness is bimodal, peaking at low-mid latitudes but with a dip at the equator; and that marine species richness decreases with depth in many taxa.

What is the relationship between diversity and latitude?

Explanation: This idea is also referred to as the latitudinal diversity gradient, meaning that as you move from the equator towards the poles, diversity lessens. This pattern is one of the oldest observed in ecology.

Why is species richness a good measure of biodiversity?

Unfortunately, a single facet of biodiversity, species richness, has become the most dominant measure of biodiversity and its change (Appendix S1), as it is easily observed and recorded, making it a relatively affordable means to monitor change in natural ecosystems.

What is biodiversity pattern?

Biodiversity pattern in species is understanding that the number of species found on Earth vary globally, locally as well as with time. Many variations can be present within species, biomes, ecosystems and a particular area.

How are latitude, productivity and species richness related?

Latitude, productivity and species richness. These results are congruent with ecological theories that predict a positive relationship between species richness and productivity, and they indicate that there is no need to explain peaked richness–productivity relationships over broad spatial extents, since they do not appear to exist.

How are species richness and productivity related to NPP?

Given that species richness also increases towards the equator, and that vascular plant richness correlates with NPP, these results are consistent with recent meta‐analyses showing that the relationships between productivity and species richness of both plants and animals in natural ecosystems are predominantly positive.

Is there a relationship between NPP and latitude?

Given the theoretical importance of the relationship, remarkably few studies have explicitly tested the relationship between measured NPP and latitude at the global scale. Instead, much of the literature on global patterns of productivity (e.g. Kicklighter et al ., 1999) relies on modelled NPP.

What is the relationship between productivity and species diversity?

Thus, it invokes a positive relationship between productivity and species diversity in both ecological and evolutionary time. Different hypotheses are predicated on different relationship patterns, and therefore it is important to identify the predominant form of these relationships.