Guest Lecture #1

Question 1

How is biodiversity distributed?

Answer 1

unevenly distributed (higher near the equator and lower near the poles)

Question 2

What is latitude diversity gradient?

Answer 2

the idea that species richness increases from poles to equator

Question 3

Can ecosystem age play into biodiversity?

Answer 3

yes, the older the more likely to feature more species richness

Question 4

What are factors influencing biodiversity?

Answer 4

abiotic and biotic factors (climate, resource availability, evolutionary rates)

Question 5

Explain the species-energy hypothesis as a factor influencing biodiversity

Answer 5

more resources support more species, but up to a threshold

Question 6

Explain climate-related hypotheses as a factor influencing biodiversity

Answer 6

stable tropical climates allow specialization and higher biodiversity

Question 7

Explain evolutionary hypotheses as a factor influencing biodiversity

Answer 7

faster evolution in tropical regions leads to more biodiversity

Question 8

What are methods to measure biodiversity?

Answer 8

alpha (local), beta (between ecosystems), gamma (regional)

methods: counting species in different ecosystems or transects

Question 9

What are some key concepts of island biogeography theory?

Answer 9

species richness depends on island size and distance from mainland

immigration and extinction rates determine equilibrium species numbers

Question 10

How can island biogeography theory be used?

Answer 10

predicting species richness in fragmented terrestrial habitats and relevance to conservation in both islands and mainland

Question 11

What are species distribution models?

Answer 11

collect species occurrence and environmental data, use machine learning to predict current and future species distributions

can be used for conservation planning and prioritizing areas for protection