Match the following :
| Column I | Column II |
| A. log S = log C + Z log A | I. Fruit-eating. |
| B. Frugivorous | II. Function of time. |
| C. Speciation | III. More solar energy available. |
| D. Tropics | IV. Alexander von Humboldt. |
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
- German naturalist and geographer Alexander von Humboldt observed that within a region species richness increased with increasing explored area, but only up to a limit. On a logarithmic scale, the relationship is a straight line described by the equation: log S = log C + Z log A
where,
S= Species richness
A= Area Z = slope of the line (regression coefficient)
C = Y-intercept
- Ecologists and evolutionary biologists have proposed various hypotheses; some important ones are (a) Speciation is generally a function of time, unlike temperate regions subjected to frequent glaciations in the past, tropical latitudes have remained relatively undisturbed for millions of years.
- Constant environments promote niche specialisation and lead to a greater species diversity and (c) There is more solar energy available in the tropics, which contributes to higher productivity; this in turn might contribute indirectly to greater diversity.
- Frugivorous = fruit-eating.