Across various sites within the rainforest of Panama, different species of trees are found with little overlap among sites. Based on this species turnover, Panama’s rainforest is best described as having _______ diversity
a) low gamma
b) low alpha
c) low beta
d) high beta
e) high alpha
To determine the diversity of species in Panama's rainforest, we need to understand the concepts of alpha, beta, and gamma diversity.
- Alpha diversity refers to the number of species within a specific site or habitat.
- Beta diversity measures the turnover or difference in species composition among different sites.
- Gamma diversity represents the overall diversity of species across a larger geographic region, such as an entire ecosystem or biome.
In this case, the question states that different species of trees are found with little overlap among sites within the rainforest of Panama. This indicates that there is a significant turnover in species composition among different sites, suggesting high beta diversity.
Therefore, the answer is:
d) high beta