Island Biogeography
Island Biogeography - Related Videos
04:04
Species Distribution and Biogeography - Concepts
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2019
Species Distribution Biogeography is the study of species distribution across geographic space and the processes that shape these distributions. This discipline is based on the assumption that each species within a location must have immigrated from another geographic area or evolved from a local species. Within each habitat, a variety of biotic and abiotic factors act on individual species to shape birth, death, immigration, and emigration rates. To avoid local extinction, the combined birth...
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Species Distribution and Biogeography - Student Protocol
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2019
Simulating Colonization and Extinction on Islands ExpandForm groups of three. One member of the group will simulate colonization by throwing balls into the groups of cups representing the islands. Another will simulate extinction by rolling dice to randomly remove balls from the cups. The third group member will record the data. Take time to familiarize yourself with the four island stations. NOTE: There are two large islands with 12 cups and two small islands with 6 cups. Two of the stations...
02:29
Species Distribution and Biogeography - Instructor Prep
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2019
Simulating Colonization and Extinction on Islands ExpandFind a table or desk with a cleared space of at least two meters in front of it in one direction. This will be the area where colonizer Ping-Pong balls are thrown into the island cups on the desk. Label six red cups from 1 - 6 with a permanent marker. Then label six blue cups in the same manner. Place the cups on the table with their top rims touching, and alternating between red and blue cups. This 12-cup set is a large island. Pour 100...
10:30
High-throughput Analysis of Locomotor Behavior in the Drosophila Island Assay
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Cited by 10 •
2017
The island assay is a relatively new, cost-effective assay that can be used to evaluate the basic locomotor behavior of Drosophila melanogaster. This manuscript describes algorithms for automatic data processing and objective quantification of island assay data, making this assay a sensitive, high-throughput readout for large genetic or pharmacological screens.
04:21
Island Assay: A High-Throughput Method to Evaluate Drosophila Locomotor Behavior
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2023
This video describes the island assay, a behavioral method used to study Drosophila locomotion. The sample protocol features a setup for the assay compatible with semi-automated image analysis.
FAQs
Species richness changes as colonization adds species and local extinction removes them. When immigration and extinction rates balance, the total number of species can remain relatively stable over time. Island Biogeography therefore treats richness as a dynamic outcome rather than a fixed property, helping biologists distinguish a stable species count from permanent ecological stability.
Island size influences how many species an area can support because larger islands generally provide more resources. This creates a greater capacity for species persistence and helps explain why larger islands commonly contain higher species richness. Area is therefore a central variable when biologists compare islands or island-like habitats and evaluate expected biodiversity patterns.
Distance affects how readily organisms reach an island from a mainland or other source population. Closer islands generally receive immigrants more easily, while greater isolation can limit colonization opportunities. This geographic effect helps explain differences in species richness among habitats of similar size and allows researchers to consider isolation alongside area when interpreting biodiversity.
Researchers can treat separated habitat patches as island-like systems and examine how patch area and isolation influence species richness. The framework helps predict how fragmentation may alter immigration, local extinction, and long-term species persistence. These predictions provide a biological basis for evaluating fragmented landscapes rather than considering each patch independently of its surrounding habitat.
Island Biogeography gives conservation planners a way to evaluate how reserve area and distance from source populations may affect the number of species a reserve can support. Larger, better-connected locations are generally expected to receive more immigrants and maintain greater richness. This information supports reserve design decisions aimed at reducing biodiversity loss and improving persistence.
The framework links biodiversity outcomes to the opposing processes of immigration and local extinction. A habitat’s area and isolation can indicate whether species are more likely to be replenished by colonists or lost without replacement. In conservation biology, these relationships help researchers anticipate biodiversity decline, identify conditions associated with persistence, and interpret changes in species richness over time.