Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- To a mouse
- Chapter 1 The road ahead
- Chapter 2 Patterns in space
- Chapter 3 Patterns in time
- Chapter 4 Dimensionless patterns
- Chapter 5 Speciation
- Chapter 6 Extinction
- Chapter 7 Coevolution of habitat diversity and species diversity
- Chapter 8 Species–area curves: the classical patterns
- Chapter 9 Species–area curves: large issues
- Chapter 10 Paleobiological patterns
- Chapter 11 Other patterns with dynamic roots
- Chapter 12 Energy flow and diversity
- Chapter 13 Diversity dynamics: a hierarchical puzzle
- References
- Index
Chapter 9 - Species–area curves: large issues
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 January 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- To a mouse
- Chapter 1 The road ahead
- Chapter 2 Patterns in space
- Chapter 3 Patterns in time
- Chapter 4 Dimensionless patterns
- Chapter 5 Speciation
- Chapter 6 Extinction
- Chapter 7 Coevolution of habitat diversity and species diversity
- Chapter 8 Species–area curves: the classical patterns
- Chapter 9 Species–area curves: large issues
- Chapter 10 Paleobiological patterns
- Chapter 11 Other patterns with dynamic roots
- Chapter 12 Energy flow and diversity
- Chapter 13 Diversity dynamics: a hierarchical puzzle
- References
- Index
Summary
Interprovincial patterns: species–area curves in evolutionary time
We can use the definition of a biological island to define the next larger biogeographical unit, the biological province. A biological province is a self-contained region whose species originate entirely by speciation within the region. Of course, no such region actually exists (except for the whole Earth). But the definition sets up a continuum between islandness and province-ness. As the proportion of originations in a region varies from 100% immigration toward 100% speciation, the region is passing from island to province. The continuum helps us see that we need not create two pigeonholes – island and province – only to battle over the place of one or another region. Instead, for practical purposes, we can say that once a region's species are predominately (60%? 80%?) native, we will group that region with the provinces. Often, that means simply recognizing continents as provinces.
When Williams (1964) extended his plant species–area curve to take in whole continents, he saw a much steeper slope than for the within-province curve. Preston (1960) points out the same phenomenon in his bird curve (Figure 2.15). But neither Williams nor Preston paid much attention to the high between province z-values suggested by their graphs.
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- Chapter
- Information
- Species Diversity in Space and Time , pp. 264 - 296Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1995