Island Species

Abstract

Islands frequently have distinctive and often unique assemblages of species. In general they have lower species diversity than equivalent continental areas, but tend to have elevated numbers of endemic species. The number of species in a particular taxonomic group on a given island and the proportion of these which are endemic appears to depend on a wide variety of factors, both historical and ecological. Among these are the degree of isolation, age, size, topography and climate of the island and the biological characteristics of the taxonomic groups concerned, in particular their vagility (the ease with which they disperse). Historical accident also appears to play a large part in patterns of species occurrence on islands.