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American Zoologist 1982 22(2):355-360; doi:10.1093/icb/22.2.355
© 1982 by The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
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Testing for MacArthur-Wilson Equilibrium with the Arthropods of the Miniature Spartina Archipelago at Oyster Bay, Florida1

DONALD R. STRONG, JR. and JORGE R. REY
Department of Biological Sciences, Florida State University Tallahassee, Florida 32306
Laboratory of Medical Entomology Box 560, Vero Beach, Florida 32960

SYNOPSIS. The unique features of the MacArthur-Wilson model of equilibrium biogeography are the immigration and extinction curves. In the model, the immigration rate for each island is negatively correlated with species number, and island extinction rate is positively correlated with species number.

Direct tests of the sign and statistical significance of immigration and extinction curves were done, with data on arthropods of tiny Spartina alterniflora islets, in north Florida. Rey (1981) defaunated six islets in the spring, then censused the recolonization weekly, for one year. Two control islets and a mainland plot were also censused. Distinct tendencies in favor of MacArthur-Wilson correlations were present for both immigration and extinction. But sufficient extraneous variation occurs in immigration and extinction rates to make correspondence to MacArthur-Wilson curves statistically non-significant, unless probabilities are combined among islands. Thus, mathematical deductions from the MacArthur-Wilson model, which treat the curves as deterministic lines with no variance, are less appropriate than approaches that incorporate stochastic variation.

The study of community patterns, by models such as the MacArthur-Wilson model, are not a substitute for careful autecological studies. Mechanisms of colonization and co-existence are only dimly hinted at by gross community patterns.


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