2.3 vocab

• island biogeography: study of ecological relationships and community structure on islands

  • larger islands support more total species --> more ecosystem diversity --> more food/habitat resources and more niches
  • islands closer to the mainland support more species
  • easier for colonizing species to get from mainland to island
• Islands have limited space/resources, creating more pressure for species to adapt to narrower niches

  • Adaptive radiation: single species rapidly evolving into several new species to use different resources and reduces competition