Choose a biodiversity
hotspot from Figure 12.1 in Physical Geography. Find out: (a) which are the most diverse groups
of species; (b) the percentage of endemic species;
(c) the number and type of threatened
species; and (d) the conservation measures are
in force to safeguard the hotspot’s biodiversity.
The following table
shows the number of anole lizard species living on a selection
of Caribbean Islands:
Island
Area
(km2)
Number
of anole species
Cuba
111463
57
Hispaniola
73147
39
Jamaica
11526
7
Puerto Rico
8860
10
St Kitts
168
2
Enter the data into a spreadsheet. Plot
the number of anole species against island area using (a) arithmetic
coordinates and (b) logarithmic coordinates. Use the spreadsheet
tools to calculate a best-fit line and the equation describing
it for the arithmetic values and the logarithmic values. NB You
will need to convert the data to log values before attempting
the log–log plot and equation.
Find out about invasive
species in your local area. (a) What problems are they causing?
(b) How are ecologists combating
these problems?
