BS276 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Ecosystem Diversity, Biogeography, Adaptive Radiation
8 Dec 2022
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Study of ecological relationships & community structure on islands. Islands can be actual islands in a body of water or figurative habitat islands such as central park in new york city or national parks (natural habitats surrounded by human developed land) Two basic "rules" or observations of island biogeography: large islands support more total species. The larger the island, the greater the ecosystem diversity. Greater ecosystem diversity = more food and habitat resources. More niches, or "roles" organisms can play in the ecosystem: islands closer to the "mainland" support more species. Easier for colonizing organisms to get to island from mainland. More colonizing organisms = more genetic diversity in new population. Ex. all the different food sources available to birds on galapagos. Larger population sizes (more genetically diverse and more resistant to environmental disturbance) Lower extinction rate (species less likely to die off) Positive correlation between island size & species richness.
