Which statements describe the relationship between the area and the biodiversity of an ecosystem? Check all that apply.Large ecosystems always have higher biodiversity than smaller ecosystems.A large area of a forest will likely have higher biodiversity than a smaller area of the same forest. A half acre of rainforest would likely have greater biodiversity than a full acre of desert.Small ecosystems always have low biodiversity.The same area of two different types of ecosystems will have the same biodiversity.
Answer
A
Large ecosystems always have higher biodiversity than smaller ecosystems.
B
A large area of a forest will likely have higher biodiversity than a smaller area of the same forest.
C
A half acre of rainforest would likely have greater biodiversity than a full acre of desert.
D
Small ecosystems always have low biodiversity.
E
The same area of two different types of ecosystems will have the same biodiversity.
Explanation
A larger sample of the same ecosystem will likely contain more species, so a large area of a forest is likely to have higher biodiversity than a smaller area of that forest (B). But area alone does not determine biodiversity: ecosystem type matters too. A half acre of rainforest would likely have more species than a full acre of desert because rainforests generally support greater biodiversity (C). The words “always” in A and D make those statements too absolute, and equal-sized areas of different ecosystems need not have equal biodiversity (E).
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