Tropical rainforests have high species richness of trees. Which of the following statements provides the MOST reasonable explana
tion why animal species richness is also high in tropical rainforests? Animals have diversified into the vast number of niches provided by tree diversity. Animal diversification rates are higher than those of trees. Animals have had the same amount of time to evolve in rainforest areas as trees. Animals are unable to adapt to climate variability in higher latitudes.
The MOST reasonable explanation is that<em> animals have diversified into the vast number of niches provided by tree diversity</em>.
Explanation:
The tropical rainforest as a biome is located in areas near the equator, where precipitations are abundant and the average temperature is elevated most of the year. As a result of the climatic conditions, this biome gives shelter to a huge number of living organisms. Also, the canopy structure provides many refuges for plants and animals and is an important source of food. It also favors interactions between species. For example, there are too many plant species that live in trees, such as bromeliads, and at the same time they provide refuge to other small animals, like frogs.
There are also too many species in the rainforest that have not been discovered yet.
