What are communities and biogeographical provinces? Provide examples. How biogeographical provinces are defined?
Describe the distribution of diversity on Earth today. What factors control the current pattern of biodiversity on Earth?
Discuss why tropics are more biodiverse than mid and high latitudes. Where are more abundant the generalist species? Where are more abundant the specialist species? Why?
Contrast the climatic characteristics islands and big continents. Discuss how the presence of one or the other affects evolution and biodiversity.
The two maps below (Figures 2.3 and 2.4; Petuch, 2013) show the areal distribution of the Carolinian and Caribbean Molluscan Provinces and their subprovinces. Which province do you expect to show the highest biodiversity of mollusks? Which factors are potentially responsible for the interpreted increase of biodiversity?
