On the semiotic dimension of ecological theory: The case of island biogeography

The Macarthur-Wilson equilibrium theory of island biogeography has had a contradictory role in ecology. As a lasting contribution, the theory has created a new way of viewing insular environments as dynamical systems. On the other hand, many of the applications of the theory have reduced to mere unimaginative curve-fitting. I analyze this paradox in semiotic terms: the theory was mainly equated with the simple species-area relationship which became a signifier of interesting island ecology. The theory is, however, better viewed as a theoretical framework that suggests specific hypotheses on the ecology of colonization of insular environments. This paradox is inherent in the use of simplifying analytic models. Analytic models are necessary and fruitful in the work of ecologists, but they ought to be supplemented with a broader, pluralistic appreciation of the role of theories in general.     

Island biology: looking towards the future

Oceanic islands are renowned for the profound scientific insights that their fascinating biotas have provided to biologists during the past two centuries. Research presented at Island Biology 2014—an international conference, held in Honolulu, Hawaii (7–11 July 2014), which attracted 253 presenters and 430 participants from at least 35 countries¹—demonstrated that islands are reclaiming a leading role in ecology and evolution, especially for synthetic studies at the intersections of macroecology, evolution, community ecology and applied ecology. New dynamics in island biology are stimulated by four major developments. We are experiencing the emergence of a truly global and comprehensive island research community incorporating previously neglected islands and taxa. Macroecology and big-data analyses yield a wealth of global-scale synthetic studies and detailed multi-island comparisons, while other modern research approaches such as genomics, phylogenetic and functional ecology, and palaeoecology, are also dispersing to islands. And, increasingly tight collaborations between basic research and conservation management make islands places where new conservation solutions for the twenty-first century are being tested. Islands are home to a disproportionate share of the world''s rare (and extinct) species, and there is an urgent need to develop increasingly collaborative and innovative research to address their conservation requirements.     

物种保护的理论基础——从岛屿生物地理学理论到集合种群理论

全球面临着生境破碎化的危机,物种保护已成为人类面临的重大课题,并不是所有的人对岛屿生物地理学理论的产生及其关注的海洋岛屿都很熟悉,但是越来越多生物赖以生存的自然栖息地的丧失和破碎化都是有目共睹的,岛屿生物地理学和集合种群理论是目前物种保护的两个基本理论,物种迁入率和绝灭率的动态变化决策岛屿上的物种丰富度是岛屿生物地理学理论的核心内容,而集合种群理论关注的是局部种群之间个体迁移的动态以及物种的续存条件,在概述两个理论形成、发展及其核心内容的基础上,着重比较它们的异同点以及在生态学理论和实践中的应用,并论述物种保护理论范式从岛屿生物地理学向集合种群理论转变的基本背景和原因。