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“Plants are the foundation for animal species,” said Barnabas Daru, an ecologist at Stanford University in the US. “If an area has a higher diversity of plants, it makes it easier for other organisms that depend on those plants to become more abundant.”
Although plants can live in all conditions, most thrive in warm, moist places. Humidity and temperature play a vital role in helping plants thrive, with humidity and warmth helping to create a variety of beneficial microorganisms that help plants grow.
In addition, insects, which pollinate flowering plants, also thrive in warmer climates because they cannot regulate their own body temperature. More insects in the tropics means more pollination and food for other animals.
However, to have a wide range of animal species coexist, a continent must have not only tropical conditions, but also a diversity of habitats. Areas with diverse terrain will create a diversity of habitats and have more animal species.
For example, tall mountains or tall trees create vertical variations in temperature, sun exposure, and terrain, allowing many organisms to coexist without competing for habitat or food resources.
Based on the above factors and using data on animal distribution, scientists agree that South America is home to the largest number of existing animal species.
This is because the Amazon rainforest in South America, with its four layers of trees, creates many different habitats. In addition, the Andes Mountains in South America also create different climate zones, helping to create a diverse habitat for animals.
However, biodiversity in South America is being threatened by deforestation, mercury mining and climate change… these things make animals in South America face many serious threats such as habitat loss, hunting…
However, efforts to help reduce climate change and prevent deforestation have also helped preserve habitats for animals.
“We will certainly lose a lot of animals, but the efforts we make to reduce the impact on their habitats will also save a lot of species,” commented Vitor Piacentini, an environmentalist at the Federal University of Mato Grosso, Brazil.