Chapter 53.5, Problem 1R

Summary Introduction

To review:

The reason for the occurrence of lower number of species in the small and far islands, in comparison to those in the large and near islands.

Given:

According to Figure 1 given below, the equilibrium theory of the island biogeography explains the species immigration and extinction rates in small islands, which are located at different distances from the source/region of species. This theory was proposed by Mc Arthur and Wilson.

Figure 1: The equilibrium theory of the island biogeography

Introduction:

Species-area relationship describes the relationship between species and area, in which they exist. Greater the area, greater will be the species diversity. This theory explains the island biogeography, which maintains the balance between species immigration and extinction rates over the time.