Q. Consider the following statements:

1. The diversity of plants and animals is unevenly distributed.
2. The species diversity increases from polar areas to tropics.
3. Latitudinal gradient has no effect on species diversity.

Which of the above is / are correct?
Answer: Only 1 and 2
Notes: The diversity of plants and animals is not uniform throughout the world but shows a rather uneven distribution. For many groups of animals or plants, there are interesting patterns in diversity, the most well- known being the latitudinal gradient in diversity. In general, species diversity decreases as we move away from the Equator towards the Poles. With very few exceptions, tropics (latitudinal range of 23.5° N to 23.5° S) harbour more species than temperate or polar areas.

This question is part of UPSC Daily 20 MCQ Series Course on GKToday Android app.