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What is island biogeography?

      

What is island biogeography?

  

Answers


Francis
According to MacArthur and Wilson (1967), the number of species living in an isolated space, such as an island, can be seen as a balance between the immigration of new species and the extinction of established ones. While the population is low, the balance will be non- interactive; i.e. different species multiply without interference. However, when populations are large enough, they interact and immigration and extinction result.
Distant islands will receive immigrants at a slower-rate than the islands near the mainland due to proximity to source areas. However, extinction rates will be the same for both, so that distant islands will hold fewer species. On large islands, immigration is high since the 'target' habitat is large. Extinction is also lower because delayed competition as there is more, to offer.
Thus, large islands will have more species than small ones. The concepts of island biogeography may be extended to any community in an isolated habitat including lakes, which are islands of water in a sea of land.
francis1897 answered the question on February 28, 2023 at 06:12


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