Island ecology

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/island-ecology

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is Island ecology known for?Islands account for 30% of the world's biodiversity hotspots
2. What is the geographical significance of islands?Islands constitute nearly 1/6 of Earth's total land area
3. What is the primary drivers of island ecological change?Human activities including deforestation and the introduction of exotic species
4. What makes island plants and animals special?Islands are cut off from the mainland by water, so the plants and animals that get there grow in new ways. They often become unique to that island, a special kind of species called an endemic.
5. Why do islands have so many different kinds of animals?Because there are fewer predators and competitors, animals can try new tricks and grow into new species. This is called adaptive radiation and it makes islands very diverse.

Biogeography: The scientific study of the past and present distribution of species and ecosystems in space and time.
Endemism: The ecological state of a species being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island or continent.
Adaptive Radiation: The diversification of a group of organisms into forms filling different ecological niches.