Diverse Biomes

Question 0

There are high numbers of

Answer 0

Niches available for species to occupy.

Question 1

Tropical forests have optimal temperatures for

Answer 1

Growth and therefore high productivity.

Question 2

Different numbers of species may be found at different sites because of huge differences in: (5)

Answer 2

Local climate, 
Altitude, 
Forest type, 
Rainfall volume, 
Forest disturbance level.

Question 3

Geographical isolation:

Answer 3

Some fragments were isolated before being rejoined; this may have encouraged speciation.

Question 4

Age:

Answer 4

Some forests are very ancient, such as tropical Africa. Others, such as Amazonia are more recent.

Question 5

Climate:

Answer 5

Plant species is strongly correlated with annual rainfall and high mean temperatures. The general rule is that in all classes of organism, the number of species increases from the poles towards to equator.

Question 6

Resource availability:

Answer 6

Fruits and flowers are available throughout the year, allowing a finer division of these resources and ensuring a more complex plant-animal interaction in the tropics.