Theoretical basis for species conservation:from the theory of island biogeography to metapopulation dynamic theory
物种保护的理论基础——从岛屿生物地理学理论到集合种群理论

The fragmentation of natural habitats is a current global crisis.It is a great challenge to human beings to protect species diversity.Not many of us are familiar with oceanic islands,which supplied key examples for the theory of island biogeography,but all of us are familiar with the loss and fragmentation of some natural habitats in which biota exist.The theory of island biogeography and the metapopulation dynamic theory are two fundamentally theoretical bases for species conservation;the former is concerned with how species number changes with the immigration and extinction rate,while the latter focuses on the dynamics of individual migration among local populations and conditions of species persistence.In this paper,with an integrated view we attempt to outline the formation,development and core contents of the theory of island biogeography and metapopulation dynamic theory,to compare their differences,and to disuss their applications in ecological theory and practice.In addition,the causes of paradigm shift from the theory of island biogeography to metapopulation dynamic theory on species conservation are briefly commented.