Question

1. biodiversity is a term used to describe the variety of plant and animal species in a given biome. an ecosystem or biome that supports a large variety of species is very biodiverse.

a. what biome in north america has the highest biodiversity?
b. what characteristics of this biome enable it to support such a high level of biodiversity?
c. what biome in north america has the lowest biodiversity?
d. what characteristics of this biome make it difficult for a high level of biodiversity to develop?

1. what is the general trend of the biodiversity in biomes as the latitude moves from the arctic region towards the equator?

Explanation:

a. The tropical rain - forest biome in North America (such as in parts of Central America which is part of the North American continent in a biogeographical sense) has high biodiversity due to its warm and wet climate year - round, providing ample resources and habitats for a wide variety of species.
b. Characteristics include high annual rainfall, warm temperatures, complex canopy structure providing different micro - habitats, and high levels of primary productivity.
c. The tundra biome in North America has low biodiversity. It has a cold climate with long winters and short growing seasons.
d. Characteristics are cold temperatures, low precipitation in the form of snow, permafrost which restricts root growth of plants, and a short growing season limiting the types of plants and animals that can survive.
For the general trend, as latitude moves from the arctic region towards the equator, biodiversity generally increases due to more favorable climate conditions (warmer temperatures, more rainfall) and more complex ecosystems.

Answer:

a. Tropical rain - forest biome
b. High rainfall, warm temps, complex canopy, high productivity
c. Tundra biome
d. Cold temps, low precip, permafrost, short growing season
General trend: Biodiversity increases as latitude moves from arctic to equator.