Problem 1
What would happen to the earth's terrestrial and aquatic species (a) if most of the world's oceans disappeared and (b) if most of the world's land disappeared?
Problem 2
Describe the roles of temperature and precipitation in determining what parts of the earth's land are covered with: (a) a desert, (b) arctic tundra, (c) temperate grassland, (d) a tropical rain forest, and (e) a temperate deciduous forest (Core Case Study).
Problem 3
Why do deserts and arctic tundra support a much smaller biomass of animals than do tropical forests? Why do most animals in a tropical rain forest live in its trees?
Problem 4
Why do most species living at high latitudes and high altitudes tend to have generalist ecological niches while those living in the tropics tend to have specialist niches?
Problem 9
Congratulations! You are in charge of the world. What are the three most important features of your plan for helping to sustain the earth's (a) terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystems services and (b) aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem services?
