The equilibrium theory of island biogeography predicts that...

The equilibrium theory of island biogeography predicts that the number of species found on an island: a. increases steadily until it equals the number in the mainland species pool. b. is greater on large islands than on small ones. c. is smaller on islands near the mainland than on distant islands. d. can never reach an equilibrium number. e. is greater for islands near the equator than for islands near the poles.

The equilibrium theory of island biogeography predicts that the number of species found on an island:
a. increases steadily until it equals the number in the mainland species pool.
b. is greater on large islands than on small ones.
c. is smaller on islands near the mainland than on distant islands.
d. can never reach an equilibrium number.
e. is greater for islands near the equator than for islands near the poles.

Key Concepts

Island Isolation

The distance of an island from a mainland or other source of species significantly affects its immigration rate. Islands that are more isolated tend to receive fewer incoming species, resulting in lower overall species richness at equilibrium compared to islands that are closer to a major species pool.

Species-Area Relationship

This concept states that larger areas tend to support more species due to greater habitat diversity and lower extinction rates. In the context of island biogeography, larger islands provide more resources and niches, which generally leads to a higher equilibrium number of species compared to smaller islands.

Equilibrium Theory of Island Biogeography

This theory explains how the number of species on an isolated ecosystem reaches a dynamic balance between the rates of species immigration and extinction. It posits that the number of species on an island is determined by a constant flux of new species arriving and resident species going extinct, resulting in an equilibrium level of biodiversity.

Immigration and Extinction Dynamics

The core of the theory hinges on the idea that immigration rates, which bring new species to the island, and extinction rates, which remove species, change over time. Immigration rates typically decrease as the number of species on the island increases, while extinction rates increase with a growing number of species, eventually balancing each other out at equilibrium.

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