代写BIOSCI 395 Pacific Biogeography and Biodiversity (Exam) SEMESTER TWO, 2023代写C/C++编程

BIOSCI 395 (28/10/2023 09:00) Pacific Biogeography and Biodiversity (Exam)

SEMESTER TWO, 2023

1 EITHER:

(a) What biogeographical puzzles were solved by Darwin's theory of evolution, and how did it solve them? What new puzzles were created by the acceptance of this theory, and why were they puzzles?

OR:

(b) Was the story of Noah's Flood useful, or not, in the progress of scientific attempts to explain biogeographical distributions from the 1600s-1800s? How was the concept modified over time, and why?

2 EITHER:

(a) Describe the Flora of New Caledonia and its very high diversity relative to other land masses. You should include mention of the ancient vicariant element of plants on this island. You should also outline with examples the key role that the ultramafic surface has played as a center of plant evolution and diversity. Mention also the different types of plant community on the island and their different levels of diversity, endemism and their divergent sources from other land masses. Attempt an explanation as to why New Caledonia has much higher plant diversity than adjacent islands.

OR:

(b) Describe the island of New Guinea in terms of its great species diversity and biogeographic relationships. Begin by outlining the altitudinal zonation of its forests from tropical lowlands to cool montane conditions. Then describe with examples the biogeographic relationships of New Guinea both in terms of its source status for the rest of tropical Oceania and of its relationship to adjacent Australia.

3 EITHER:

(a) Using the examples of Shrike-Thrush and Magpie from the Eyrean Lecture describe the concept of insularity in a continental setting where barriers to dispersal do not involve water. Include mention of the hybrid swarms in central Australia and you may suggest an explanation for these in the presence of climatic instability.

OR:

(b) Describe the role of fire from the Bassian Lecture as the key agent of disturbance in much of the Australian landscape. You should include mention of the Mutch Hypothesis, Pyrogenesis, Serotiny and Resprouting as key forms of adaptation. You should also include mention of the interaction between Eucalyptus forest and Rainforest according to fire frequency.

4 EITHER:

(a) Explain two possible hypotheses for the Latitudinal Diversity Gradient, and for each, explain how you would test the hypothesis (assume you have access to modern datasets and techniques, but no funding limitations).

OR:

(b) What are the strengths and weaknesses of AIC-based statistical model comparison as a way to choose models for inferring the biogeographical history of a clade? Give at least 3 of each, and a short explanation of each (~1 sentence).