MIDLANDS STATE UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED BIOSCIENCES AND

BIOTECHNOLOGY

NAME: YOLANDA N. MUPITA

REG NO: R217480Y

LEVEL: 2:1

M.O.E: CONVENTIONAL

LECTURER: MR BARE

MODULE: HABB 233

ASSIGNMENT NO. 1
According to Carroll et al., (2017) Islands are areas of land that are bordered by water.
Islands can be continental, meaning they are located on a continental shelf and were once
adjoined to a main continental landmass, and oceanic, meaning they are located on the
oceanic crust and usually away from a main continental landmass. Additionally, oceanic
islands are generally small in area and formed from volcanoes. Island biogeography is the
geographical analysis of the biodiversity of the plant and animal species on islands. The
species studied in island biogeography include species on land, in freshwater areas, and in the
sea. Island biogeography is also called insular biogeography. The theory of island
biogeography relates the number of species on an island to the land area of the island and the
degree of isolation of the island.

 The theory of island biogeography, which predicts that species richness is island size and
distance from the mainland is well tested with macro-fauna and flora. Early on, it was
recognized that host plants could function as islands as well, in the context of plant-
associated insects. Due to recent advances in next-generation sequencing techniques,
ecologists can now apply these principles to microorganisms, which lend themselves well to
ecological studies because their habitats are easily replicated in a small geographic space.

The theory predicts other things, too. For instance, everything else being equal, distant
islands will have lower immigration rates than those close to a mainland, and equilibrium will
occur with fewer species on distant islands. Close islands will have high immigration rates
and support more species. By similar reasoning, large islands, with their lower extinction
rates, will have more species than small ones -- again everything else being equal (which it
frequently is not, for larger islands often have a greater variety of habitats and more species
for that reason).

Carroll et al., (2017) go on to say that the theory of island biogeography predicts that the
number of plant and animal species on an island is related to the area of the island's landmass
and the degree of isolation of the island. The theory states that smaller, more isolated islands
have fewer numbers of plant and animal species. The converse is also true. Larger, less
isolated islands have a higher number of plant and animal species and biodiversity. Larger,
less isolated islands are overall easier for species to find and contain a diversity of habitats.
This theory was formed by two ecologists named Robert H. MacArthur and Edward O.
Wilson in the 1960s.
The theory of island biogeography outlines three factors that impact species diversity on an
island. These are extinction, immigration, and emigration. Extinction, by definition, is the
dying out of a species. Extinction can occur as a result of many environmental and
evolutionary factors. On an island, dying out of species reduces the overall number of species
and the biodiversity. The size of land and degree of isolation of an island affects the rate of
extinction. Smaller, more isolated islands have a higher rate of extinction. (Whittaker et
al ,2007)

Immigration is a term that describes the establishment of a home by a species in a new

habitat. Species are able to immigrate when the habitat meets their needs for survival. In the
case of islands, species have a greater chance of being able to immigrate to a new island
when the island is larger. Species immigration is also affected by the level of isolation of the
island. Islands that are more isolated are harder for the species to find and get to. A higher
level of immigration contributes to island biodiversity. Biologydictionary.net (2017) says that
the two events that determine how many species are found in an isolated ecosystem are
immigration and extinction. Research as shown that how big the island is and how far it is
from the mainland have a great influence on the number (richness) of species that are found
there (see image below). Once species have established themselves on an island, the rate at
which they will go extinct depends on the size of the island, with there being less likelihood
of extinction on larger islands. This is called the species-area relationship. This relationship is
not just observable, but it can also be predicted mathematically. By the same theory, the
farther an island is from the mainland, the fewer species it tends to have. This is referred to as
the species-distance relationship.

Emigration is the departure of a species from its established habitat. Species emigrate from
habitats because the home no longer satisfies their needs to survive or thrive. Emigration
contributes to the decrease of biodiversity on an island. Island biogeographic theory has been
applied to many kinds of problems, including forecasting faunal changes caused by
fragmenting previously continuous habitat. For instance, in most of the eastern United States
only patches of the once-great deciduous forest remain, and many species of songbirds are
disappearing from those patches. One reason for the decline in birds, according to the theory,
is that fragmentation leads to both lower immigration rates (gaps between fragments are not
crossed easily) and higher extinction rates (less area supports fewer species). (Whittaker et
al ,2007)
Indications of such changes in species composition during habitat fragmentation were found
in studies conducted between 1953 and 1976 in a 16-acre nature preserve in Connecticut in
which a forest was re-establishing itself. During that period development was increasing the
distance between the preserve and other woodlands. As the forest grew back, species such as
American Redstarts that live in young forest colonized the area, and birds such as the Field
Sparrow, which prefer open shrublands, became scarce or disappeared. In spite of the
successional trend toward large trees, however, two bird species normally found in mature
forest suffered population declines, and five such species went extinct on the reserve. The
extinctions are thought to have resulted from lowering immigration rates caused by the
preserve's increasing isolation and by competition from six invading species characteristic of
suburban habitats (Dieter Mueller-Dombois, 2001).

When immigration rates and extinction rates are the same, the island is in equilibrium. This
means that the number of species on the island stays roughly the same. However, while the
number of species does not change, the composition of those species on the island may
change. The rate at which one species is lost and another species takes its place is called the
turnover rate. Island biogeography is a useful tool because it helps ecologists understand
different species, how they interact with each other, and how they interact with their
environment. Ecologists can look at potential mechanisms that lead to a decrease in species
diversity within an island, and from this knowledge find ways to preserve habitat and
resources. To unlock this lesson, you must be a Study.com Member.

In sum, despite some uncertainties and controversies, the value and contribution of the
(equilibrium) theory of island biogeography to modern ecology and biogeography are
undeniable. The theory continues to play a key role both in basic research and in designing
nature reserves for conservation, especially when the theory is applied to broadly defined
‘islands.’ Future studies should be long-term and focus on the stability or shifts of the
emerged equilibrium points and on how the shapes of the I and E curves may vary across
islands and species groups. At present, the unprecedented human-caused species invasions
could be the most important event that could either verify or challenge the MW theory. With
so many highly invasive species immigrants on islands, does the MW theory still apply? And
if it does, to what degree and to what species group (natives, exotics, or both groups
combined; Guo, 2014) Biogeographic principles can be used profitably in designing natural
preserves to protect endangered habitats and species. Assume that it is desirable to maintain
as great a diversity of plants and animals as possible. Clearly, a single large and contiguous
reserve will generally be superior to a number of smaller reserves covering an equivalent
area. All else being equal, protected areas should be as diverse as possible.

REFRENCES

Biologydictionary.net (2017). Island Biogeography. Retrieved from

https://biologydictionary.net/island-biogeography/(accessed 07/10/22)

Carroll K., Friedl E., DeVore S., (2017) What is the Theory of Island Biogeography?
https://study.com/learn/lesson/island-biogeography-theory-factors.html#section---
IslandBiogeographyDefinition (accessed 08/10/22)

Dieter Mueller-Dombois, (2001) Encyclopaedia of Biodiversity,

https://www.sciencedirect.com/referencework/9780122268656/encyclopedia-of-biodiversity
(accessed 07/10/22)

Guo QF (2014) Species invasions on islands: searching for general patterns and principles.
LandscapeEcology29:1123–1131.

Whittaker RJ and Ferna´ndez-Palacios JM (2007) Island biogeography: ecology, evolution,

and conservation, 2nd edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press