Biogeographic Kinetics: Estimation of Relaxation Times for Avifaunas of Southwest Pacific Islands
- 1 November 1972
- journal article
- Published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Vol. 69 (11) , 3199-3203
- https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.69.11.3199
Abstract
When species diversity S on an island is displaced from the equilibrium value by injection or removal of species, S relaxes to equilibrium by an imbalance between immigration and extinction rates. Estimates of exponential relaxation times, t r , for avifaunas of New Guinea satellite islands are calculated from analysis of four “experiments of nature”: recolonization of exploded volcanoes, contraction in island area due to rising sea level, severing of land bridges, and disappearance of landbridge relict species. t r is in the range 3,000-18,000 years for avifaunas of islands of 50-3000 square miles (130-7800 km 2 ), and increases with island area. Immigration coefficients decrease and extinction coefficients increase with increasing S . The results may be relevant to the design of rainforest preserves.Keywords
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