Biodiversity Pattern in Species

May 20, 2023, 16:45 IST

Biodiversityrefers to a wide variety of organisms, ecosystems, and their relationships and processes which maintains life. For example, there is a variety of organisms in the Amazon rainforest, which is rich in biodiversity. The Arctic region also has wide biodiversity due to many uncommon species. Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life we find in our area. It includes a variety of animals, fungi, plants, and microorganisms like bacteria in an area. Each species and organism are engaged in workingtogether within an intricate web to maintain the balance between various components of an ecosystem and tosupport life. Biodiversity provides everything we need to survive, i.e. food, water, medicine, shelter, etc.

Biodiversity Conservation refers to protecting and managing biodiversity to ensure sustainable development. It has objectives of sustainable utilisation of species and ecosystems to preserve species diversity and to maintain life-supporting systems.

Edward Wilson defined Biodiversity as the ‘Combined diversity at all the levels of biological organisation’.

Biodiversity pattern in species means understanding the number of species present on the earth which varies globally and locally as well as varieties with time and space.

Pattern of Biodiversity

Biodiversity does not exist in a common and even pattern worldwide. It varies with the latitude and altitude. Favourable environmental conditions allow for more wide biodiversity. An example is that Tropical areas have greater biodiversity than temperate and polar zones, where climatic conditions are not so favourable for life.

It has three types of species:

• Species that vary globally: In this pattern of biodiversity, organisms from different places on the earth might be distantly related to the same characteristics of appearance and behaviour. Example: Rheas, Emus, and Ostriches are found in different regions, but they cannot fly.
• Species that vary locally: In this pattern, various habitats exist for species within a specific region. An example is the Galapagos island is nearby but has different climatic conditions. For example, the shell of a tortoise is different in this region. Hood Island's tortoises have thick necks and saddle-backed shells because of the fear of shrubs and trees and a dry environment.
• Species that vary over time: Scientists have found that some prehistoric animals were replicas of their younger counterparts after studying the fossils. Example: Armadillos in the present day and prehistoric Glyptodon are similar in appearance and size.

Time-Related Patterns

• Seasonal Pattern: The diversity of species changes with seasons. An example is the increase and decrease in species of bugs throughout the rainy season.
• Successional Pattern: After a disturbance, plant, and animal species begin to reconquer the area in a successional pattern. The term ‘Success Means the trend of compositional change in species throughout time. Succession means the order of species colonisation in an ecosystem from a destroyed or barren land. Ecological succession defines the changes that occur in an ecological community over time. It aims to achieve equilibrium and the species which gets this equilibrium is known as the climax community.
• Evolutionary Pattern: During evolution, certain species get extinct, and some get to evolve. This shows the evolutionary pattern of biodiversity.

Latitudinal Gradient

Latitude is a determinant of the angular distance of a place in consideration of the equator. The gradient is the direction and rate of the fastest increase.

Latitudinal Gradient is the diverse existence of species on the earth. It varies with changes in altitude or latitude. We find more biodiversity while moving to low latitude from high latitude. Biodiversity decreases from the equator to the poles.

Temperate regions have short growing periods for plants, whereas tropical regions have favourable climates for the growth of plants throughout the year. Hence, favourable environmental conditions give tropical regions richer biodiversity than temperate regions. In temperate or polar regions, the climate is unpredictable and unsuitable for organisms to live and for this reason, organisms migrate to other places or die.

Species - Area Relationships

It is a relationship between the diversity of species and area.

It is defined as the richness of species, i.e. how many species are present in an area. It also tells about the evenness of species, i.e. how even species distribution in a specific area is. It increases with an increase in an explored area.

German geographer and naturalist Alexander Von Humboldt observed the relationship between area and species richness. He observed that as he increased the observation area, the diversity of animal and plant species also increased to a certain level.

An equation can explain it:

Log S = log C + Zlog A

Where: S is the richness of species

C is Y-intercept

A = area

Z is the regression coefficient (slope of the line).

Importance of Biodiversity

Biodiversity helps maintain ecological balance and the healthy existence of humans and other species in an ecosystem. It provides valuable genetic diversity and high productivity and human wellness. It is a food, fibre, and medicines source and has cultural benefits. Because of the importance of Biodiversity, Sustainable Development Goal 15 of Agenda 2030 is focused to ‘protect, restore and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainable management of forests, combating desertification and halt and reverse the degradation of land and also halt the loss of biodiversity.’

Biodiversity: FAQs

Q1. What is Species- Area relationship?

Ans. Species - Area relationship defines that there is an increase in the richness of species with the increase in area under observation.

Q2. Who gave the relationship between Species -Area?

Ans. German geographer and naturalist Alexander Von Humboldt gave the Species-Area relationship.

Q3. What do you mean by Latitudinal gradient?

Ans. If we move from the equator to the poles, there is a decrease in species richness and biodiversity and vice-versa. It is known as the Latitudinal gradient.

Q4. Which ecosystem is known as a hotbed of biodiversity?

Ans. A Forest ecosystem is known as a hotbed of biodiversity due to its richness of various species.

Q5. Write the formula of the Species-Area relationship?

Ans. Log S = log C + Zlog A

Where: S is the richness of species

C is Y-intercept

A= area

Z is the regression coefficient (slope of the line).