Biogeography of Puerto Rican ants: a non-equilibrium case?

J.A. Torres; R.R. Snelling

Treesearch

Biogeography of Puerto Rican ants: a non-equilibrium case?

Formally Refereed

Authors:

J.A. Torres, R.R. Snelling

Year:

1997

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

International Institute of Tropical Forestry

Source:

Biodiversity and Conservation. 6:1103-1121

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Abstract

Ants were studied on Puerto Rico and 44 islands surrounding Puerto Rico. Habitat diversity was the best predictor of the number of species per island and the distributions of species followed a nested subset pattern. The number of extinctions per island was low, approximately 1 to 2 extinctions per island in a period of 18 years, and the rates of colonization seem to be greater than the extinction rates. Ant dynamics on these islands do not seem to support the basic MacArthur and Wilson model of island biogeography. The MacArthur and Wilson equilibrium is based on the notion that species are interchangeable, but some extinctions and colonizations can change the composition and number of species drastically.

Keywords

Caribbean, insects, island, equilibrium, extinction, tropics

Citation

Torres, J.A.; Snelling, R.R. 1997. Biogeography of Puerto Rican ants: a non-equilibrium case? Biodiversity and Conservation. 6:1103-1121