Humboldt’s Enigma

Facts for Prelims

Humboldt’s Enigma

News: Recently, Humboldt’s Enigma has been in the news due to its implications for regions like the Eastern Himalayas.

Background:
• Despite being outside the tropics, the Eastern Himalayas boast exceptional diversity, challenging the conventional tropical biodiversity paradigm. This region’s climate dissimilarity and diverse geological composition contribute to its high biodiversity.
• Understanding these patterns of biodiversity can have significant implications for conservation efforts and climate change adaptation strategies.

What is Humboldt’s enigma?
• Humboldt’s Enigma is a concept proposed by Alexander von Humboldt, a polymath of the 18th century. Humboldt recorded diverse natural observations and proposed a relationship between temperature, altitude, humidity, and species distribution.
• The enigma lies in the observation that Earth’s tropical areas, which receive more solar energy, are not the only biodiverse regions. Many areas outside the tropics, such as mountains, are also highly biodiverse. This challenges the conventional belief that regions receiving the most solar energy (tropics) exhibit the highest biodiversity.
• The factors driving this mountain diversity are Earth’s history, geography, and climate. Mountains serve as ‘cradles’ for new species due to geological processes like uplifts, creating new habitats. Climatologically stable mountains act as ‘museums,’ preserving species over time.