Chapter 44.4, Problem 1CC

Summary Introduction

To write:

A scenario where a small island may or may not have a huge number of species.

Introduction:

In biology, an organism that has a similar genetic heritage and is competent in interbreeding is called species.

Edward O. Wilson  and Robert MacArthur  proposed ‘The Equilibrium Model of Island Biogeography’  in 1960. It is a comprehensive model that explains uneven distribution on the new island.

According to Edward O. Wilson and Robert MacArthur, the number of species present on an island reflects the balance between the rates of immigration and extinction. The model predicts that island size is directly proportional to the number of species. The number of species increases with an increase in island size. The number of species decreases with decrease in the distance from the source pool.