What is endemism?
Q: What is endemism?
A: Endemism is an ecological term that refers to a species of plant or animal that is only found in a particular location, such as a specific island, habitat type, nation or other defined zone.
Q: What are the two types of endemism?
A: The two types of endemism are paleoendemism and neoendemism. Paleoendemism means that a species used to live in a large area but now lives only in a smaller area. Neoendemism means that a species has recently appeared which is closely related to the main species or one that has formed following hybridization and is now classified as a separate species.
Q: How does endemism differ from cosmopolitan distribution?
A: Endemic organisms are those which are found only in certain areas, while cosmopolitan distribution refers to organisms which can be found all over the world.
Q: Where do endemic types typically develop?
A: Endemic types typically develop on islands because they are isolated from other similar areas. This includes remote island groups like the Hawaiian Islands, the Galápagos Islands, and Socotra.
Q: Why are endemic organisms more vulnerable than others?
A: Endemic organisms are more vulnerable than others because they live in small areas and can easily become endangered or extinct due to human activities such as introducing new organisms into their environment.
Q: What is the difference between an endemic organism and an indigenous organism?
A: An endemic organism is one which exists only within certain areas while an indigenous organism may exist elsewhere outside of its native environment.
Q: What does it mean for something to be introduced or exotic species?
A: An introduced or exotic species is one which has been brought into an area where it did not previously exist naturally.
