Island Biogeography and Metapopulations

Flashcards to help review key concepts from the lecture on Island Biogeography and Metapopulations.

What is the Equilibrium Theory of Island Biogeography?

It predicts the number of species on an island based on island area and distance from the mainland.

What is a metapopulation?

A metapopulation occurs when suitable habitats exist as a series of favorable patches that are spatially isolated.

Who coined the metapopulation theory?

Richard Levins in 1969.

What does Levin’s metapopulation model predict?

It predicts the proportion of patches that are occupied by local populations.

How does island size affect species richness according to the Equilibrium Theory?

Species richness increases with increasing island size.

What happens to immigration and extinction rates as the number of species on an island increases?

Immigration decreases while extinction increases.

What are the key assumptions of Levin’s Model?

There are N patches that can be occupied or not, with no immigration from outside, constant birth and death rates, and no time lags.

What does the stable equilibrium point in the Equilibrium Theory represent?

The point where immigration equals extinction, stabilizing the number of species.

What is a metacommunity?

A metacommunity is a set of local communities linked by the dispersal of multiple potentially interacting species.

What is a metaecosystem?

A metaecosystem is a group of ecosystems linked by migration and the exchange of abiotic materials.

Why are metapopulations useful in conservation efforts?

They help identify factors that maintain populations and can guide management efforts to prevent species loss.

What is the relationship between colonization and extinction in a metapopulation?

The metapopulation persists when the rate of colonization is greater than the rate of extinction.

How does habitat fragmentation affect species like Mountain Lions?

It can have negative impacts on species with large ranges by limiting their movement and increasing extinction risk.

What effect does urbanization have on habitat fragmentation?

It leads to negative impacts on species by isolating populations.

What does the term 'dispersal' refer to in ecological studies?

Dispersal refers to the movement of species between habitat patches, including immigration and emigration.

What are the two components that make up the Equilibrium Theory curves?

The immigration rate curve and the extinction rate curve.

What ecological dynamics does metapopulation theory integrate?

It integrates migration and extinction dynamics with local species interactions and abiotic factors.