Review article
SCIENTIFIC ISLAND RESEARCH BASED ON THE THEORY OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
Goran Sušić
; Institute of Ornithology of the Croatian Academy of Arts and Science, Zagreb
Abstract
Damaging anthropogenic impact on fragile biotops makes islands
the most endangered components of the planeta biodiversity.
Specific island animal populations and associations and their
exceptional vulnerability call for specific approach to the natural
scientific island research and protection of island natural heritage.
Due to local extinction and recolonization the number of species
of nesting birds and other animal species on an island is never
definite nor is their quantitative biocenosis structure. However, the
total number of species on an island equilibrates due to the ratio
between extinct and immigrated species which is stable in the long
run. This is stated by the theory of island biogeography (or equi-
Iibrium theory of island zoogeography). The theory is confirmed
by the data on qualitative structure of ornithofauna (in particular
nesting birds) on the Adriatic islands.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
32904
URI
Publication date:
1.7.1994.
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