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Harvard Forest REU Symposium Abstract 2010
- Title: For ants on the Boston Harbor Islands, classical island biogeography explains island-scale species richness, but not where it came from or how it got there.
- Author: Adam T Clark (Harvard College (Harvard University))
- Abstract:
PRESENTER: Adam Clark, Farrell Lab, Harvard University
HF GROUP: Pelini, Warm Ants
ABSTRACT:
The classical model of island biogeography proposed by MacArthur and Wilson in 1963 is among the most widely recognized theories in ecology. The concept of an equilibrium between immigration and extinction rates in island systems has provided the framework for many theories and models, particularly linking species richness to island isolation and area. While these variables have often been used to describe island-scale patterns of richness, less is known about how diversity varies within islands themselves. Using data collected as a part of the Boston Harbor Islands All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory, a five-year ongoing project surveying the arthropod diversity of the region, we have proposed two models describing ant species richness within the islands themselves: one based on classical island biogeography, and one on rarefraction. We found that models based on classical island biogeography consistently overestimate diversity within islands, suggesting that heterogeneous distribution of species across islands plays an important role even on very small scales.
KEY WORDS: Biogeography, ants, species-area relationship, Boston Harbor Islands. - Research Category: Biodiversity Studies
