History Made Rainforests Diverse, Not Ecology
Sunday, September 25, 2011 - 12:40
in Earth & Climate
People concerned about climate change recently can look no farther than the world's rainforests to see the diversity that arises from different ecological conditions. History and geology, not current ecology, are likely what has made tropical forests so variable from site to site, according to a new study published in Science.Measurements of variation in biodiversity from place to place, called beta diversity, are actually very similar as you move from the tropics to the poles when you account for the number of species present in the first place. And forests in Canada and Europe may have much more in common with tropical rainforests than previously believed. read more