Question

Which terrestrial and marine environments characteristically contain few species? Explain why each of these environments has a low diversity.

Short answer

Terrestrial environments with low species diversity include deserts, polar regions, and high mountain regions. These environments have extreme temperatures, limited resources, and inhospitable conditions that make it difficult for a diverse range of species to survive and adapt. Marine environments with low species diversity include deep-sea hydrothermal vents and polar waters. The extreme conditions of these environments, such as high temperature gradients, low oxygen levels, and toxic chemical concentrations, allow only a limited number of specialized species to survive, resulting in low species diversity.

Step-by-step solution

Identify Terrestrial Environments with Low Species Diversity

We can start by recognizing the terrestrial environments with low species diversity. These environments usually include extreme climates like deserts, polar regions, and high mountain areas. For our answer, we will consider the following terrestrial environments: 1. Deserts 2. Polar regions 3. High mountain regions

Explain Low Species Diversity in Terrestrial Environments

Now, let's discuss the factors contributing to the low species diversity in the three identified terrestrial environments. 1. Deserts: The primary factors for low species diversity in deserts are the extreme temperatures, limited water availability, and low primary productivity. The harsh environmental conditions in deserts only allow a limited number of species to survive and adapt. 2. Polar regions: In polar regions, extremely low temperatures, short growing seasons, and an inhospitable climate restrict the number of plant and animal species that can survive. These conditions limit the number of available resources, making it difficult for a diverse range of species to thrive. 3. High mountain regions: Similarly, high mountain regions have extreme temperatures, thin air, limited soil, and rapidly changing weather conditions which make it challenging for species to adapt. These factors contribute to the low species diversity in high mountain regions.

Identify Marine Environments with Low Species Diversity

Next, we can identify marine environments with low species diversity. These environments usually include extreme environments like deep-sea hydrothermal vents and polar waters. For our answer, we will consider the following marine environments: 1. Deep-sea hydrothermal vents 2. Polar waters

Explain Low Species Diversity in Marine Environments

Now, let's discuss the factors contributing to the low species diversity in the two identified marine environments. 1. Deep-sea hydrothermal vents: These marine environments are characterized by extreme temperature gradients, low oxygen levels, and toxic concentrations of chemicals. Only a limited number of specialized species can survive under these extreme conditions, which results in low species diversity. 2. Polar waters: Similar to polar terrestrial regions, polar waters also exhibit low temperatures and short growing seasons, limiting the number of species that can adapt to these conditions. The low temperatures slow down the metabolic rates of organisms, which further limits the diversity of species that can survive in polar waters.