Biodiversity, a contraction of "biological diversity," generally refers to the variety and variability of life on Earth. One of the most widely used definitions defines it in terms of the variability within species, between species, and between ecosystems. It is a measure of the variety of organisms present in different ecosystems. This can refer to genetic variation, ecosystem variation, or species variation (number of species) within an area, biome, or planet. Terrestrial biodiversity tends to be greater near the equator, which seems to be the result of the warm climate and high primary productivity. Biodiversity is not distributed evenly on Earth. It is richest in the tropics. Marine biodiversity tends to be highest along coasts in the Western Pacific, where sea surface temperature is highest and in the mid-latitudinal band in all oceans. There are latitudinal gradients in species diversity. Biodiversity generally tends to cluster in hotspots, and has been increasing through time, but will be likely to slow in the future.

Based on the article and the following list of answers, write a list of questions.

1. Biodiversity
2. slow
3. biological diversity
4. no
5. life on Earth
6. yes
7. yes
8. yes
9. latitudinal gradients
10. mid-latitudinal
11. higher
12. Western Pacific
13. Marine
14. no
15. more
16. Terrestrial
17. warm climate and high primary productivity
18. yes
19. ecosystem and species
20. yes

Numbered questions:
1. What tends to cluster in hotspots?
2. Will it speed up or slow down in the future?
3. What's it a contraction of?
4. Does it talk about life on Mars?
5. What type of life does it refer to?
6. Does it encompass a variety of life?
7. Are ecosystems important parts of biodiversity?
8. What about species?
9. What type of gradients are there in species diversity?
10. Which band in all oceans is it highest?
11. Are the sea surface temperatures there higher or lower than other places?
12. Which coasts?
13. What type of biodiversity on those coasts?
14. Is biodiversity distributed evenly on Earth?
15. Is it found more or less in the tropics?
16. What type of biodiversity is greater near the equator?
17. What is that a result of?
18. Is genetic variation part of biodiversity?
19. What other types of variation are as well?
20. Does species variation extend to the whole planet?