In comparison to temperate or polar regions, the tropics (23.5°N to 23.5°S) have ______ species. Select the most suitable word to fill in the blank.

more

The correct answer is Option (3): more

The diversity of plants and animals is not uniform throughout the world but shows a rather uneven

distribution. For many group of animals or plants, there are interesting patterns in diversity, the most well- known being the latitudinal gradient in diversity.

In general, species diversity decreases as we move away from the equator towards the poles. With very few exceptions, tropics (latitudinal range of 23.5° N to 23.5° S) harbour more species than temperate or polar areas. Colombia located near the equator has nearly 1,400 species of birds while New York at 41° N has 105 species and Greenland at 71°N only 56 species.