reviewEcology LettersJan 6, 2015GREEN OA

Islands as model systems in ecology and evolution: prospects fifty years after MacArthur‐Wilson

BHBen H. WarrenDSDaniel SimberloffRERobert E. RicklefsRARobin AguiléeFLFabien L. Condamine

Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement · University of Zurich · +22 more institutions

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Abstract

The study of islands as model systems has played an important role in the development of evolutionary and ecological theory. The 50th anniversary of MacArthur and Wilson's (December 1963) article, 'An equilibrium theory of insular zoogeography', was a recent milestone for this theme. Since 1963, island systems have provided new insights into the formation of ecological communities. Here, building on such developments, we highlight prospects for research on islands to improve our understanding of the ecology and evolution of communities in general. Throughout, we emphasise how attributes of islands combine to provide unusual research opportunities, the implications of which stretch far beyond islands. Molecular…

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Topics & keywords

Topics
Keywords
  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary ecology
  • Ecological systems theory
  • Insular biogeography
  • Milestone
  • Biology
  • Biogeography
  • Geography
UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • Life below water
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