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UNDERSTANDING HUMBOLDT’S ENIGMA
About Alexander von Humboldt
- Explorers like Alexander von Humboldt have long studied biodiversity concentration, especially in mountainous regions.
- Humboldt suggested a link between temperature, altitude, humidity, and biodiversity, illustrated by mountains like Chimborazo in Ecuador.
Source: Science
Source: ScienceAbout Humboldt’s enigma:
- Humboldt’s enigma revolves around the observation that, contrary to expectations, biodiversity doesn’t solely decrease away from the tropics; mountains stand as a significant exception.
- Geological processes, such as uplifts creating new habitats, and climatic stability fostering species persistence, contribute to the richness of mountain biodiversity.
- The geological heterogeneity of mountains promotes unique habitat patches, enhancing diversification.
- This phenomenon challenges conventional wisdom that lowland tropical forests hold unparalleled biodiversity, as mountains, despite their smaller area, host a remarkable proportion of Earth’s terrestrial vertebrate species.
