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What is the mid-domain hypothesis?

What is the mid-domain hypothesis?

The hypothesis states that if the ranges of the species are randomly distributed within a bounded domain then more ranges will overlap near the middle of the domain than at the edges, and thus decreasing species richness will be observed from the mid-domain to the edges.

What is mid-domain effect?

We define the mid-domain effect as ‘the increasing overlap of species ranges towards the centre of a shared geographic domain due to geometric boundary constraints in relation to the distribution of species’ range sizes and midpoints’.

What is the geographical area hypothesis?

Geographical area hypothesis It asserts that the tropics are the largest biome and that large tropical areas can support more species. More area in the tropics allows species to have larger ranges and consequently larger population sizes.

What is the conservatism hypothesis?

The tropical conservatism hypothesis (TCH) invokes niche conservatism, climatic limitations on establishment and survival, and paleoclimatic history to explain the latitudinal diversity gradient. Moreover, lineages with temperate affinities are generally younger and nested within older, more tropical lineages.

Which ecosystem is richest in biodiversity?

Summary: Amazonia represents the quintessence of biodiversity – the richest ecosystem on earth. Yet a study by Smithsonian scientists, published this week in the journal Science, shows that differences in species composition of tropical forests are greater over distance in Panama than in Amazonia.

Why does latitude affect a regions biodiversity?

Biodiversity higher in the tropics, but species more likely to arise at higher latitudes. Summary: The results suggest that the latitudinal diversity gradient may be due higher species turnover — speciation counterbalanced by extinction — towards the poles than near the equator.

What is latitudinal gradient hypothesis?

In summary, palaeontological data for many taxonomic groups are consistent with the hypothesis that the latitudinal diversity gradient is a result of higher rates of diversification in the tropics compared with temperate and polar regions, and the available evidence suggests that this difference is due to higher …

What are the two most accredited hypothesis on species diversity?

They include: (1) The Heterogeneity Hypothesis, (2) The Competition Hypothesis, and (3) The Predation Hypothesis. The Heterogeneity Hypothesis suggests that the more spatially diverse the community is, the greater the species richness.

Who first noted the latitudinal diversity gradient?

Alexander von Humboldt
Although there are exceptions, this pattern is pervasive within both the terrestrial and marine realm and across taxonomic groups (1). This latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG) was first recognized by Alexander von Humboldt over two centuries ago.

What is latitudinal biodiversity gradient?

A latitudinal biodiversity gradient (LBG) has been identified in almost all organisms that have been investigated, on land and in the sea. The gradient involves high species’ numbers near the equator (at low latitudes) and lower numbers of species at high latitudes.