Island Biogeography Theory

To determine the advantages and disadvantages of applying the Island Biography Theory to establishing a biodiversity preserve, we must first fully understand the theory. The larger the land mass, the more diverse and the more species that will be present. Verse a smaller land mass that will not have as much species in the area. This land mass does not technically have to be an actual island but a piece of land that may be cut off from outside resources. For example, a mountain peak or a preserve that has had development all around it and is not connected to any other land mass. Due to the high levels of development around the United States, most preserves have no choice but to become an island. There are a few …show more content…
This graph shows Colonization and extinction rates on each side with the number of species on the bottom and the rate on the far left. These curves show curves of islands that are both small/large and remote/close. Larger islands that are closer to a mainland have a higher colonization rate and a lower extinction rate (MacArthur&Wilson,1967). Smaller islands that are more remote have higher extinction rates and lower colonization (MacArthur&Wilson,1967). Where these curves connect is the equilibrium rate showing few species on small distant islands and many species on large nearby islands. With this graph we can establish that small and close islands are slightly worse than large and far islands when it comes to species richness. This tells that a larger land mass can outweigh the distance from a mainland on the MacArthur-Wilson scale. This shows the importance and sustainability that a larger land mass provides. Another debate is if few large islands or many small islands are more sustainable than each other. I believe that the size and diversity of the islands depends on what types of species occupy that area. A study shows that many small connected islands benefit the diversity of plants, invertebrates, amphibians, and reptiles but few large islands create higher diversity for mammals and birds (Boecklen, 1997). In determining which is better, we must choose what we are trying to