Biology 3484A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Macroecology, Species Richness

• School: Western University
• Department: Biology
• Course: Biology 3484A/B
• Professor: Nina Zitani

Document Summary

Assignment #2: how many species are there on earth and the oceans. Diversity of life is one of most striking aspects of our planet, thus the important to study species. Samples to the world"s biodiversity limited, having indirect assumptions. Higher taxonomic classification of species leads to a predicatable pattern which allows for an estimated species number. This method was used for all kingdoms which estimated 8. 7 million eukaryotic species, which 2. 2 were marines. 1. 2 million species already classified in database, still 86% species on earth and. 91% in oceans that still need to be classified which means we need further research to discover these species. So much incertainty in the number of species on earth. Our best estimate is based on taxonomic experts who say between 3 to 100 million species. Other studies have used macroecological patterns and biodiversity ratios to improve the species estimate, but the assumptions have been debated.