Provide several reasons why our estimates of species numbers are incomplete

What will be an ideal response?


One reason is that some areas of Earth remain mostly unexplored, such as the ocean depths, hydrothermal vents, and the tree canopies and soils of tropical forests. Another reason is that many species are tiny and easily overlooked; these inconspicuous organisms include species of bacteria, nematodes (roundworms), fungi, protists, and soil-dwelling arthropods. In addition, many organisms are so difficult to identify that a population thought to be a single species turns out, on closer inspection, to be two or more species. The opposite could also be true, where two populations considered as separate species are, on close investigation, actually the same species.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

You might also like to view...

On this southern continent, which side has a plate boundary?

A. both sides B. neither side C. the left (west) side D. the right (east) side

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

A meteorite’s coating is very different from its interior

a. True b. False

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

What is meant by the demographic transition? Relate the epidemiologic transition and fertility transition (two elements of demographic transition) to its four phases

What will be an ideal response?

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

Groundwater flows to the surface in ________ zones

A) runoff B) aquifer C) discharge D) recharge E) flood

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences