Erwin and Scott used an insecticidal fog to knock down insects from the top of a L. seemannii tree. The researchers identified over 900 species of beetles among the individuals that fell. Erwin also projected that this entire tree is host to about 600 arthropod species unique to this tree species. There are approximately 50,000 species of tropical trees. Although it could not be entirely accurate, what would be the best way to estimate the total number of arthropod species?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The best way to estimate the total number of arthropod species is to multiply the number of unique arthropod species found on the L. seemannii tree (600) by the total number of tropical trees (50,000). This gives an estimate of 30 million arthropod species. Option A is not reliable as species density can vary greatly between trees. Option B is incorrect because it only considers the number of beetle species found and not the total number of arthropod species. Option D is not appropriate as it calculates the ratio of beetle species to unique arthropod species on the L. seemannii tree, which may not be representative of other tropical trees.

Erwin and Scott Used an Insecticidal Fog to Knock Down