Species-Area Relationships on Small Islands: Floristic Data from Belizean Sand Cays

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Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press

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Analysis of species records of plants from 34 sand cays on the barrier reef and atolls of Belize, Central Amerca, shows a linear relationship between species number and the logarithm of island area over the range 0.13 ha to 16.50 ha. Shrubs and trees show only a slight increase in numbers with area, because of the small number of shrubs available to colonize available habitats and the clearing of native woodland for coconut plantations. Herb numbers increase more strongly with island area, probably as a result of disturbance of habitats by man. Distance from source areas forms a much weaker control of species numbers, because of the proximity of the cays to Central America and their equal distance from eastern Caribbean source areas. Comparison with other island groups, however, shows that the Belize cays have much larger  floras than more remote oceanic islands of similar sizes. Limited inferences on colonization and extinction can be made from the species records.  

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Stoddart, David R. and Fosberg, F. Raymond (Francis Raymond). 1982. "<a href="https://repository.si.edu/handle/10088/119783">Species-Area Relationships on Small Islands: Floristic Data from Belizean Sand Cays</a>." In <em>The Atlantic Barrier Reef Ecosystem at Carrie Bow Cay, Belize, 1. Structure and Communities</em>. 527–539. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press. In <em> Smithsonian Contributions to the Marine Sciences</em>, 12. <a href="https://doi.org/10.5479/si.01960768.12.527">https://doi.org/10.5479/si.01960768.12.527</a>.

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