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Based on MacArthur and Wilson's Island equilibrium model, how would you expect the richness of birds on islands to compare with the richness of snakes and lizards? Explain.

Short Answer

Expert verified

The species of snakes and lizards do not show richness in islands because they cannot migrate to a greater distance. The species diversity of birds in islands is more due to their mobility. Birds often migrate to different islands and which leads to speciation and diversified species in islands.

Step by step solution

01

MacArthur and Wilson's Island equilibrium model

The theory of the island equilibrium model was proposed by scientists Robert Macarthur and E.O. Wilson. This model tries to explain island biodiversity. The island equilibrium model states that the island's diversity depends on the immigration and extinction rates of the organisms.

02

Migration of birds

The birds migrate more often to other regions in search of food or for breeding. The birds also show seasonal migration to sustain temperature. The migration of birds is classified into several types. Based on the distance, it is distinguished as short distance, medium distance, and long-distance migration.

03

Richness of birds in islands than reptiles

Migration of reptiles only occurs during breeding which is chiefly to egg-laying sites. They do not migrate long distances, especially to islands from the mainland.However, birds immigrate to islands from the mainland, leading to gene flow and more bird species richness in islands.

Therefore, when the richness of reptiles is compared with birds according to MacArthur and Wilson's Island equilibrium model, birds show more species diversity than the reptiles due to mobility.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

The most plausible hypothesis to explain why species richness is higher in tropical than in temperate regions is that

(A) tropical communities are younger.

(B) tropical regions generally have more available water and higher levels of solar radiation.

(C) higher temperatures cause more rapid speciation.

(D) diversity increases as evapotranspiration decrease.

Why do high and low levels of disturbance usually reduce species diversity? Why does an intermediate level of disturbance promote species diversity?

What two components contribute to species diversity? Explain how two communities with the same number of species can differ in species diversity.

The principle of competitive exclusion states that

(A) two species cannot coexist in the same habitat.

(B) competition between two species always causes extinction or emigration of one species.

(C) two species that have exactly the same niche cannot coexist in a community.

(D) two species will stop reproducing until one species leaves the habitat.

After examining Figure 52.19, you decide to study feeding relationships among sea otters, sea urchins, and kelp. You know that sea otters prey on sea urchins and that urchins eat kelp. At four coastal sites, you measure kelp abundance. Then you spend one day at each site and mark whether otters are present or absent every 5 minutes during the day. Graph kelp abundance (on the y-axis) versus otter density (on the x-axis), using the data below. Then formulate a hypothesis to explain any pattern you observe.

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