Where is the world

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Where is the worlds biological diversity?

• 1) Tropics
• a. rain forest
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3.1 Tropical rain forests are found
predominantly in wet equatorial regions.
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Where is the worlds biological diversity?

• b. ocean -28 of 35 animal phyla
• (1) coral reefs
• (2) deep sea
• c. large tropical lakes
• 2) Temperate forests and shrublands in
  southwestern Australia, Cape Region of South
  Africa, California, central Chile, and
  Mediterranean Basin

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3.2 Coral reefs in tropical waters
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• 4 Factors affecting species richness
• -there are concentrations of species in
  particular areas and a rough correspondence in
  distribution of species richness between
  different groups of organisms
• In North America, large-scale patterns of species
  richness are highly correlated for amphibians,
  birds, butterflies, mammals, reptiles, land
  snails, vascular plants, and tiger beetles.
  Similar pattern in regions of South America for
  birds, amphibians, plants, and mammals.
• In marine ecosystems, cone snails are an
  indicator of marine biodiversity
• Fig. 3.4

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Figure 3.3 Species richness for vertebrates is
greatest in tropical regions with abundant
rainfall
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Figure 3.4 Cone snails are an indicator group
for marine biodiversity
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What pattern do you see in this table?
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Why are there so many species in the Tropics?
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How many species exist worldwide?

• -numbers obtained from diversity surveys of
  entire regions
• ex. our Flora of PINS, Flora of North America
•  
• -1.5 million species described worldwide with
  estimates of 5-10 million total
• -this inflated estimate from that which
  scientists have described (1.5 million) is
  supported by the following
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3.5 Approximately 1.5 million species have been
identified and described by scientists
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Figure 3.7 (A) Access to the diverse world of
insects in the rain forest canopy (B) Research
carried out in the tree canopy using a dirigible
to lower a platform so scientist can work from it.
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How many species exist worldwide?

• 4) rainforest reserve between Laos and Vietnam
  yielded three new large mammals (giant muntjac
  (striped, red-rumped rabbit), the Vu Quang Ox,
  and slow running deer). In Laos, a rodent
  thought to be extinct for 11 million years was
  re-discovered in a food market. Fig. 3.7 New
  order of insects from Africa commonly called
  gladiator insects..
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• 5) new communities around hydrothermal vents and
  oil plumes on the deep sea floor - Box 3.1.
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• 6) Many new bacterial and fungal species-Box 3.2

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Figure 3.7 Researchers first found Laonastes
aenigmamus being sold in Laotian food markets
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Hydrothermal vent community dominated by tube
worms