INTRODUCTION
Biogeography analyzes the distribution patterns of flora and fauna both spatially and temporally. A specific discipline within biogeography is island biogeography, the study of these patterns in an isolated area. Although the principles of island biogeography originally were developed for and applied to true oceanic islands, researchers have increasingly recognized that fragmented continental ecosystems function as islands. Some of the most important continental habitat islands today are nature reserves -- fragmented, isolated habitats designed to limit human interference and preserve biodiversity.
ROUGH OUTLINE
I. Basic principles of Island Biogeography
II. Specific issues addressed by the model
A. Genetic diversity
B. Species diversity
C. Habitat diversity
D. Nestedness
E. Resilience
III. Nature reserves as islands
A. SLOSS Debate
B. Wildlife corridors
C. Other responses/models
SOURCES
B.D. Patterson & W. Atmar. 2000. Analyzing species composition in fragments. Isolated Vertebrate Communities in the Tropics (G. Rheinwald, ed.), Bonn zool. Monogr. 46: 9-24.
W.J. Boecklen. 1997. Nestedness, biogeographic theory, and the design of nature reserves. Oecologia (1997) 112: 123-142.
S.P. Hubbell. 1997. A unified theory of biogeography and relative species abundance and its application to tropical rain forests and coral reefs. Coral Reefs (1997) 16, Suppl: S9-S21.
M.D. Jennings. 2000. Gap analysis: concepts, methods, and recent results. Landscape Ecology (2000) 15: 5-20.
J.A. Torres & R.R. Snelling. 1997. Biogeography of Puerto Rican ants: a non-equilibrium case? Biodiversity and Conservation (1997) 6: 1103-1121.
E.B.W. Zubrow, J.R. Schumm, S. Finn, G.A. Panetski, & J. Van Ness. 1995. The biological reserve: the future's last stand. Futures (1995), Vol. 27, No. 4: 437-446.
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