In comparison with temperate regions at higher latitudes, tropical communities show greater species richness. Which of the following is a hypothesis that has been proposed to explain this difference?
A) Tropical regions have had more time to diversify under stable climatic conditions.
B) Tropical regions have more habitat types.
C) Higher levels of interspecific competition in the tropics have led to narrower niches and hence a greater number of more specialized species.
D) Higher predation intensity in the tropics prevents interspecific competition among prey species and thus allows rare species to persist.
E) All of the above

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

All the options (A, B, C, D) are hypotheses that have been proposed to explain the greater species richness in tropical regions compared to temperate regions.

In Comparison with Temperate Regions at Higher Latitudes, Tropical Communities