island ecosystems
Secluded land habitats
Island ecosystems are the interconnected communities of organisms and their physical environments on islands.
Because islands are isolated and often small, their ecosystems tend toward distinct characteristics: limited species diversity, high rates of endemic species found nowhere else, and particular vulnerability to invasive species and habitat disruption.
The Galápagos island ecosystems shaped Darwin's thinking on evolution.
- volcanic islandsLand formed by underwater eruptions
- atollsRing-shaped coral islands
- palm treesTropical plants with fronds
- endemic speciesLife found nowhere else
- invasive speciesHarmful non-native organism
archipelago · lost world · ecotourism · keystone species · genetic drift · food web · microclimates · speciation · flightlessness · rising sea levels · seabird · bird colonies · giant tortoise · biodiversity hotspots · extinction risk · nature reserve · habitat fragmentation · tide