Islands are really interesting when we study how living things are spread out in the world. Their isolation helps create special environments where unique plants and animals live. Here’s how islands can teach us important lessons:
Endemism: Some islands have plants and animals that you can’t find anywhere else. A great example is the Galápagos tortoise. This shows how being cut off from the main land can lead to changes in species over time.
Species Diversity: Islands usually have a wide variety of species that adapt to different living conditions. For example, Madagascar has about 5% of the world's species, including the famous lemurs.
The Theory of Island Biogeography: This idea, proposed by scientists MacArthur and Wilson, looks at how the number of species on an island depends on how big the island is and how close it is to the mainland. Bigger and nearer islands usually have more types of species.
Conservation Issues: Islands face special problems, like invasive species and climate change. This makes them important places to study how to protect different species.
In these ways, islands help us understand how nature works!
Islands are really interesting when we study how living things are spread out in the world. Their isolation helps create special environments where unique plants and animals live. Here’s how islands can teach us important lessons:
Endemism: Some islands have plants and animals that you can’t find anywhere else. A great example is the Galápagos tortoise. This shows how being cut off from the main land can lead to changes in species over time.
Species Diversity: Islands usually have a wide variety of species that adapt to different living conditions. For example, Madagascar has about 5% of the world's species, including the famous lemurs.
The Theory of Island Biogeography: This idea, proposed by scientists MacArthur and Wilson, looks at how the number of species on an island depends on how big the island is and how close it is to the mainland. Bigger and nearer islands usually have more types of species.
Conservation Issues: Islands face special problems, like invasive species and climate change. This makes them important places to study how to protect different species.
In these ways, islands help us understand how nature works!