Which of the following statements is NOT true?

The correct answer is A. Statement A is the one that is not true. Species diversity is highest near the equator and falls steadily as we move toward the poles, so the claim that it increases toward the poles is reversed.

• A (NOT true): This describes the latitudinal diversity gradient backwards. Diversity decreases from the equator toward the poles.
• B (true): Tropical regions, with stable climates, high productivity and long evolutionary time, hold far more species than temperate regions.
• C (true): The Amazon basin is generally cited as the region with the greatest terrestrial biodiversity, with an enormous number of plant and animal species.
• D (true): Moving from temperate zones toward the poles, harsher climate and shorter growing seasons reduce the number of species.

The core concept is the latitudinal gradient in biodiversity, which links to the Environment and Ecology section of the syllabus and to Mains questions on conservation hotspots and climate change impacts on species distribution.

Trap: Aspirants read "increase" in A as a plausible natural pattern and pick it without checking the direction of the gradient. Remember that the equator is the richest zone.