Biodiversity - Biodiversity: Time and Space
Origin of Life and Biodiversity Evolution | Benefits
of Biodiversity | Ecological
Role of Biodiversity
Economic Role of Biodiversity | Ethical
Role of Biodiversity | Scientific
Role of Biodiversity | Measurement
of Biodiversity
Biodiversity: Time and Space | Species
Inventory | Hotspots of Biodiversity | Threats
to Biodiversity
Biodiversity Management: Conservation,
Preservation and Protection | Juridical
Status of Biological Diversity
Biodiversity: Time and Space
Biodiversity is not static: it is a system in constant evolution, from a species, as well as from an individual organism point of view. The average half-life of a species is estimated at between one and four million years, and 99% of the species that have ever lived on earth are today extinct.
Biodiversity is not distributed evenly on earth. It is consistently richer in the tropics. As one approaches polar regions one finds larger and larger populations of fewer and fewer species. Flora and fauna vary depending on climate, altitude, soils and the presence of other species. For a listing of distinct ecoregions based on these distributions, see the WikiProject Ecoregions.
From Wikipedia.