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Sample exam questions |
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Readings:
Wilson, E. O. 1992. The unexplored biosphere. Pp. 131-162 in "The Diversity of Life", by E. O. Wilson. Belknap Press, Cambridge, MA. 424 pp.
May, R. M. 1988. How many species are there on earth? Science 241: 1441-1449.
Grassle, J. F. 1991. Deep-sea benthic biodiversity. Bioscience 41: 464-469.
Questions:
Why can we not make a good estimate of the number of species on the earth?
Based on these articles, what group of organisms is the most diverse? Which do we seem to know the least about? Why are these things true?
Why do we want to know how many species are on the earth?
What characteristics describe a habitat with high species diversity? Is it possible to make such a characterization?