Island Colonization
The Origin and Development of Island Communities

A personal and readable review of how plants and animals colonize islands.

Ian Thornton (Author), Tim New (Edited by)

9780521854849, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 19 March 2007

302 pages, 52 b/w illus. 31 tables
25.3 x 17.7 x 1.9 cm, 0.758 kg

' … provide(s) a wealth of information that heretofore had not been adequately synthesized on island colonization.' Landscape Ecology

New or recently sterilized islands (for example through volcanic activity), provide ecologists with natural experiments in which to study colonization, development and establishment of new biological communities. Studies carried out on islands like this have provided answers to fundamental questions as to what general principles are involved in the ecology of communities and what processes underlie and maintain the basic structure of ecosystems. These studies are vital for conservation biology, especially when evolutionary processes need to be maintained in systems in order to maintain biodiversity. The major themes are how animal and plant communities establish, particularly on 'new land' or following extirpations by volcanic activity. This book comprises a broad review of island colonization, bringing together succession models and general principles, case studies with which Professor Ian Thornton was intimately involved, and a synthesis of ideas, concluding with a look to the future for similar studies.

Preface
Part I. Introduction: Theoretical and Experimental Studies: 1. Introduction
2. Theoretical and experimental colonization
Part II. Natural Recolonization after Devastation: 3. A clean slate?
4. Life returns- primary colonization of devastated surfaces
Part III. The Recolonization of Devastated Islands: 5. Recovering island biotas: volcano and Barcena
6. Thera, Santorini group, Mediterranean
7. Long and Ritter Islands, Bismarck Sea
8. Krakatau, Sunda Strait
Part IV. Assembly of Biotas on New Islands: 9. Lake Wisdom- a new island of fresh water
10. New islands in the sea
11. Anak Krakatau, Krakatau's child, b. 1933
12. Surtsey, Island of Surtur, b. 1963
13. Motmot - a new island in fresh water
Part V. Colonization and Assembly: 14. Dispersal
15. Stepping stone islands - the case of Sebesi
16. Learning from nature's lessons
Literature cited
Index.

Subject Areas: Conservation of wildlife & habitats [RNKH], Animal ecology [PSVS], Plant ecology [PSTS]