Species diversity _____ as we move away from the equator towards the poles.

The diversity of plants and animals is not uniform throughout the world, but shows a rather uneven distribution. For many groups of animals or plants, there are interesting patterns in diversity, the most well-known being the latitudinal gradient in diversity. In general, species diversity decreases as we move away from the equator towards the poles.

This is because the equator receives straight rays of sunshine. Hence, the vegetation grows significantly at the equator. However, polar regions receive slanting rays of the Sun. The slanting rays have the same intensity as the straight rays, but covers a greater area than the straight rays. Hence, in polar regions, as the sun rays having the same intensity as the straight rays are distributed over a greater area, such areas experience colder temperatures throughout the year. Snow covers the polar regions to a depth of 6 - 7 metres. As a result of the snow, the top soil is devoid of vegetation.