Island Species Research Articles

How Do Species Traits and Biogeographical Factors Determine the Fate of Amphibians After Long‐Term Fragmentation?

ABSTRACTAimIdentifying key factors that render certain species more vulnerable to fragmentation is vital for elucidating processes underlying extinction and targeting conservation priorities. However, few studies have explored the delayed ecological responses of species following isolation. To bridge the gap, we conducted comprehensive analyses of correlates of extinction vulnerability and biogeographical variation in amphibians over long‐term fragmentation.LocationZhoushan Archipelago, China.MethodsWe sampled the occupancy of amphibians on 37 land‐bridge islands. We calculated three metrics of extinction vulnerability (population extinction rate, island occupancy frequency and species nestedness ranking) for each species and correlated these variables with eight species' traits. We further explored biogeographical variations in amphibians by relating five biogeographical variables to species' probability of occurrence and calculated the threshold for the persistence of each species on islands.ResultsSpecies with low natural abundance, larger egg sizes, smaller clutch sizes or restricted geographical distributions were more likely to experience higher population extinction rates and species nestedness rankings, while lower island occupancy frequencies across islands. Although most species were found on larger islands, we observed significant increases in the occurrence probabilities with island area for five species. The estimated areas with a 50% chance of occurrence ranged from 0.39 to 199.5 km2. Interestingly, the likelihood of occurrence of Hyla chinensis (treefrog) was negatively related to distance to the mainland after controlling for the effect of area.Main ConclusionsOur study highlights the variation in the fragmentation sensitivity of amphibians. Species distribution was primarily regulated by area‐related extinction, particularly for those with ‘slow’ life history strategies or restricted ranges. Overall, management efforts should focus on species with extinction‐prone traits and landscape features that threaten the persistence of populations. Future studies should consider the sequential separation of island populations and the interaction of traits to reveal the fate of species to fragmentation.

A Renaissance of Atoll Ecology

The approximately 320 atolls of the world, scattered across the tropical oceanic basins, constitute a unique type of ecosystem in that they are each an integrated unit consisting of island, coral reef, and lagoon components. Atolls have a complex geology, ecology, and biogeography, which can be fully appreciated only by transcending the classic boundary thinking of marine and terrestrial realms. The atolls we observe today were shaped by Quaternary sea-level fluctuations, which imposed strong environmental filters on their communities. As entirely biogenic, reef-borne structures, the islands of atolls depend upon marine productivity, which catalyzes island community assembly. Island species communities exist in complex dynamic equilibria with the surrounding oceanographic conditions. Energy fluxes and element cycles of the atoll system readily cross habitat boundaries and create a productive, diverse, and biomass-rich ecosystem on land and underwater. Past human disturbances and future global change put atolls at the forefront of conservation and ecological restoration.

Stable detection frequency of the threatened Christmas Island Boobook Ninox natalis, 2012–2022

ABSTRACT Both island species and raptors are at particularly high risk of extinction but few island raptor populations have been the subject of long-term monitoring. To determine trends in abundance in the Christmas Island Boobook, surveys were conducted annually from 2012–2017, in 2019 and in 2022. Across the survey period the population appears to have been either stable or to have increased slightly. Almost no part of the island lacked owls during the most recent survey. The detection rate averaged 1.56 (out of four surveys at a site); it was lowest in 2013 (1.22) and highest in 2022 (2.38). Detection was more likely on nights with low wind, at wetter sites and in closed vegetation, rather than in open or very low vegetation. In a separate analysis on the same data, the top-ranked dynamic occupancy-detection model found that occupancy increased with increasing elevation and vegetation height. No effect of a suspected threat, the presence of invasive yellow crazy ants Anoplolepis gracilipes at a site, could be detected. We recommend ongoing monitoring and research, potentially using automated recording devices and the tracking of individual owls to understand and refine the assumptions underpinning the interpretation of survey results.

First sighting of a pair of Ryukyu robin Larvivora komadori Temminck, 1835 (Aves, Passeriformes) during breeding season on Jeju Island, Republic of Korea: a nesting attempt?

The Ryukyu robin (Larvivora komadori Temminck, 1835) is an endemic inhabitant of the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. In 2018, we made several birding excursions to Jeju Island, Republic of Korea. Within the 1100 Altitude Wetland protected area on May 28 and May 30 we encountered a pair of birds, which, according to reference literature and bird guides we identifi ed as Larvivora komadori. That was the fi rst visual sighting of the Ryukyu robin during the breeding season on Jeju Island, which is separated from the nearest breeding site by more than 200 kilometers of open sea. This fact can be regarded as a potential ability for this endemic island species to spread to new islands. Possible pathways for natural introduction of the Ryukyu

A rapid increase in tropical species of grouper (Perciformes: Serranidae) in the temperate waters, the Goto Islands, Japan.

Global warming has resulted in rapid poleward shifts in the geographical distributions of many tropical fish species. This study conducted daily market surveys from 2008 to 2013 to investigate catch trends of seven commercially important grouper species in the temperate Goto Islands, Japan. Our results revealed that the catch numbers of tropical grouper species increased rapidly by an average of 5.9-fold (12.3-fold at maximum) within six years, whereas the temperate and subtropical species did not exhibit substantial changes. Based on the findings of several previous studies, the rapid increase in the number of tropical groupers in temperate waters was most likely caused by the successful settlement of larvae transported from tropical waters. Large-scale ocean currents may facilitate larval transport from tropical waters because the Goto Islands face the Tsushima Warm Current, which branches from the Kuroshio Current. Meanwhile, the transition processes of size distribution in tropical groupers suggest a possible hypothesis that adults migrating from tropical waters first settle in temperate waters and then enhance their populations by reproduction. Further studies are required to determine how tropical grouper species settle and how their populations increase in temperate waters.

Island biogeography of the megadiverse plant family Asteraceae

The megadiverse plant family Asteraceae forms an iconic component of island floras including many spectacular radiations, but a global picture of its insular diversity is lacking. Here, we uncover the global biogeographical and evolutionary patterns of Asteraceae on islands to reveal the magnitude and potential causes of their evolutionary success. We compile a global checklist of Asteraceae species native and endemic to islands and combine it with macroecological analyses and a phylogenetic review of island radiations. Asteraceae have a global distribution on islands, comprising approximately 6,000 native island species, with 58% endemics. While diversity of the family on islands is lower than expected given its overall diversity, Asteraceae are the most diverse family on oceanic islands, suggesting an exceptional ability to thrive in isolation. In agreement with island biogeography predictions, native Asteraceae diversity increases with area and decreases with isolation, while endemism increases with both. We identify 39 confirmed island radiations and 69 putative radiations, exceeding numbers for other iconic insular groups. Our results reveal Asteraceae offer immense potential for research in ecology and evolution, given their close tracking of island biogeography expectations, large number of both species and radiations, cosmopolitan distribution, and numerous undiscovered radiations.

Within-flower anther polymorphism and the floral biology of Jaltomata antillana (solanaceae) of the Greater Antilles

The small, unspecialized flowers of Jaltomata antillana (Solanaceae), typical of island species, are likely allochthonous in origin given similar congeneric close relatives in the Andes. Floral nectar, produced continuously during the life of the flower, is yellowish in color and is UV absorptive, in contrast with the white UV reflecting corolla. The day the flower opens flowers are pistillate (anthers not yet presenting pollen) for only a few hours and then become functionally hermaphroditic (anthers dehisce). Within each flower there is length variation among the stamens, size variation among anthers, and staggered anther dehiscence, collectively an apparent pollen-dispensing mechanism. Flowers close each night both when the flower will be functional the next day and at floral senescence. In a pollinator-free greenhouse, 100% of the flowers that were manually self-pollinated set fruits; however, 29% of the tagged unmanipulated flowers set fruit. Autonomous self-pollination takes place at the end of the corolla’s life and allows fruit and seed production in the absence of pollinators but results in fruits that are lighter and contain fewer seeds than fruits resulting from manual self-pollinations.

Persistent Gene Flow Suggests an Absence of Reproductive Isolation in an African Antelope Speciation Model.

African antelope diversity is a globally unique vestige of a much richer world-wide Pleistocene megafauna. Despite this, the evolutionary processes leading to the prolific radiation of African antelopes are not well understood. Here, we sequenced 145 whole genomes from both subspecies of the waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus), an African antelope believed to be in the process of speciation. We investigated genetic structure and population divergence and found evidence of a mid-Pleistocene separation on either side of the eastern Great Rift Valley, consistent with vicariance caused by a rain shadow along the so-called 'Kingdon's Line'. However, we also found pervasive evidence of both recent and widespread historical gene flow across the Rift Valley barrier. By inferring the genome-wide landscape of variation among subspecies, we found 14 genomic regions of elevated differentiation, including a locus that may be related to each subspecies' distinctive coat pigmentation pattern. We investigated these regions as candidate speciation islands. However, we observed no significant reduction in gene flow in these regions, nor any indications of selection against hybrids. Altogether, these results suggest a pattern whereby climatically driven vicariance is the most important process driving the African antelope radiation, and suggest that reproductive isolation may not set in until very late in the divergence process. This has a significant impact on taxonomic inference, as many taxa will be in a gray area of ambiguous systematic status, possibly explaining why it has been hard to achieve consensus regarding the species status of many African antelopes. Our analyses demonstrate how population genetics based on low-depth whole genome sequencing can provide new insights that can help resolve how far lineages have gone along the path to speciation.

Genomic diversity and evolution of the Hawaiian Islands endemic Kokia (Malvaceae).

Island species are highly vulnerable due to habitat destruction and their often small population sizes with reduced genetic diversity. The Hawaiian Islands constitute the most isolated archipelago on the planet, harboring many endemic species. Kokia is an endangered flowering plant genus endemic to these islands, encompassing 3 extant and 1 extinct species. Recent studies provided evidence of unexpected genetic diversity within Kokia. Here, we provide high-quality genome assemblies for all 3 extant Kokia species, including an improved genome for Kokia drynarioides. All 3 Kokia genomes contain 12 chromosomes exhibiting high synteny within and between Kokia and the sister taxon Gossypioides kirkii. Gene content analysis revealed a net loss of genes in K. cookei compared to other species, whereas the gene complement in K. drynarioides remains stable and that of Kokia kauaiensis displays a net gain. A dated phylogeny estimates the divergence time from the last common ancestor for the 3 Kokia species at ∼1.2 million years ago (mya), with the sister taxa (K. cookei + K. drynarioides) diverging ∼0.8 mya. Kokia appears to have followed a stepping-stone pattern of colonization and diversification of the Hawaiian archipelago, likely starting on low or now submerged older islands. The genetic resources provided may benefit conservation efforts of this endangered endemic genus.

The herpetofauna of the Sporades Islands (Aegean Sea, Greece): New discoveries and a review of a century of research

The Sporades are one of the most biologically important archipelagos in the Aegean Sea (Greece) and have received priority conservation over the last 50 years. However, despite numerous early efforts, its herpetofauna is only partially described, resulting in many distributional gaps that have prevented adequate understanding and management of the resident species communities. We review one century of bibliography from the Northern Sporades and combine this information with a review of museum specimens and insights from numerous extensive field surveys over the last near-decade to provide for the first time a comprehensive picture of the reptiles and amphibians of the archipelago. We report here on 26 new island records and find that the herptile communities of the region are largely derived from the herpetofauna of the nearby Thessaly mainland, with only a few introduced taxa. There is also a small but significant set of endemic taxa in the archipelago. Island species richness declines with decreasing island size and increasing duration of island isolation. Herptile communities on smaller islands are progressively nested subsets of the communities on larger islands. The presence of reptile species depends sensitively on the condition and management of native ecosystems. While non-aquatic species maintain largely healthy populations, most populations are under pressure from the combined effects of rampant tourist development, the destruction and degradation of rare wetland habitats, and the abandonment of traditional agricultural landscapes. We provide recommendations regarding sustainable management of the local reptile and amphibian populations.

Habitat quality drives the species–area relationship of plants and soil microbes in an ocean archipelago

While the positive species–area relationship on islands is frequently observed, the mechanisms underlying this pattern remain poorly studied. By analyzing insular community diversity across spatial scales and the soil properties within the islands, we were able to explore potential mechanisms leading to the island species–area relationship of plants, as well as associated soil bacteria and fungi, from a tropical archipelago. We found that both plant and soil microbial communities showed similar positive species–area relationships across scales and the greater taxonomic diversity on larger islands was mainly driven by the higher richness within samples. These patterns arose primarily due to shifting habitat quality with island area, rather than spatial processes generally attributed to species–area relationships. Specifically, for plants, changes in soil total phosphorus content with island area were most explanatory, while changes in soil pH appeared to play the most important role in shaping soil bacteria and fungi patterns. By contrast, we found little evidence for the role of spatial processes (i.e. dispersal limitation or soil heterogeneity) within the island. Overall, this study highlights the importance of dissecting potential mechanisms underlying multi‐trophic community dynamics to explain patterns of biodiversity and its variation on islands.

Monitoring arthropods under the scope of the LIFE-BEETLES project: I - Baseline data with implementation of the Index of Biotic Integrity.

The urgent need for conservation efforts in response to the global biodiversity crisis is exemplified by initiatives, such as the EU LIFE BEETLES project. This project aims to preserve endangered arthropod species that are crucial for ecosystem functionality, with a focus on endemic beetle species in Flores, Pico and Terceira Islands (Azores, Portugal): Tarphiusfloresensis Borges & Serrano, 2017, Pseudanchomenusaptinoides (Tarnier, 1860) and Trechusterrabravensis Borges, Serrano & Amorim, 2004. These species are single island endemics respectively from Flores, Pico and Terceira. They are threatened by environmental degradation, facing the dual challenge of restricted distribution and habitat degradation due to the spread of invasive plants.The project aims to enhance habitat quality and biodiversity conservation through habitat restoration and plant invasive species control measures. These measures are funded by the European Commission and coordinated by the Azorean Environment Directorate-General. The current Data Paper evaluates the effectiveness of the LIFE BEETLES project in improving habitat quality and offers insights into the balance between habitat restoration efforts and endangered species conservation in island ecosystems, utilising as ecological indicator the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) framework. This study establishes a comprehensive database derived from a long-term arthropod monitoring survey that used SLAM (Sea, Land and Air Malaise) traps and pitfall traps. Our findings present a proxy for assessing the overall habitat quality for endemic invertebrates, using arthropods as main indicators.From September 2020 to June 2023, a total of 31 SLAM traps were monitored. The traps were set up as follows: seven in Flores (three in mixed forest and four in native forest), 10 in Pico (four in mixed forest and six in native forest) and 14 in Terceira (three in mixed forest and 11 in native forest). Traps were monitored every three months.In addition, we surveyed the epigean fauna in 19 transects with 15 non-attractive pitfall traps per transect. The transects were set up during two weeks at the end of August every year between 2020 and 2023. Eight transects were established in Flores, consisting of one in pasture, four in mixed forest and three in native forest. Six transects were established in Pico, consisting of two in pastures and four in native forest. Five transects were established in Terceira, consisting of two in mixed forest and three in native forest.A total of 243 arthropod taxa were recorded, with 207 identified at the species or subspecies level. These taxa belonged to four classes, 24 orders and 101 families. Out of the 207 identified taxa, 46 were endemic, 60 were native non-endemic, 80 were introduced and 21 were of indeterminate status. Habitat information is also provided, including general habitat and dominant species composition. This publication contributes to the conservation of highly threatened endemic beetles by assessing habitat quality, based on arthropod communities and habitat description (e.g. native or exotic vegetation).Using the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) to comparing pre- and post-intervention data, we found no significant change within the epigean community. In contrast, the understorey community sampled with SLAM traps experienced a slight global decrease in biotic integrity over the study period. These findings suggest that the short duration of the study may not be sufficient to detect significant changes, as ecosystem recovery often requires long-term monitoring. The observed changes in the understorey community may be attributed to disturbances from intervention activities, highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring to assess long-term ecological resilience and recovery.

Chromosome-Level Reference Genome of the Ponza Grayling (Hipparchia sbordonii), an Italian Endemic and Endangered Butterfly.

Islands are crucial evolutionary hotspots, providing unique opportunities for differentiation of novel biodiversity and long-term segregation of endemic species. Islands are also fragile ecosystems, where biodiversity is more exposed to environmental and anthropogenic pressures than on continents. The Ponza grayling, Hipparchia sbordonii, is an endemic butterfly species that is currently found only in two tiny islands of the Pontine archipelago, off the coast of Italy, occupying an area smaller than 10 km2. It has been classified as Endangered (IUCN) because of the extremely limited area of occurrence, population fragmentation, and the recent demographic decline. Thanks to a combination of different assemblers of long and short genomic reads, bulk transcriptome RNAseq, and synteny analysis with phylogenetically close butterflies, we produced a highly contiguous, chromosome-scale annotated reference genome for the Ponza grayling, including 28 autosomes and the Z sexual chromosomes. The final assembly spanned 388.61 Gb with a contig N50 of 14.5 Mb and a BUSCO completeness score of 98.5%. Synteny analysis using four other butterfly species revealed high collinearity with Hipparchia semele and highlighted 10 intrachromosomal inversions longer than 10 kb, of which two appeared on the lineage leading to H. sbordonii. Our results show that a chromosome-scale reference genome is attainable also when chromatin conformation data may be impractical or present specific technical challenges. The high-quality genomic resource for H. sbordonii opens up new opportunities for the accurate assessment of genetic diversity and genetic load and for the investigations of the genomic novelties characterizing the evolutionary path of this endemic island species.

Climatic and biogeographic factors show contrasted effects on continental and volcanic ISARs

Abstract Aim The study of islands biotas is fundamental to understand biodiversity patterns and process, both on evolutionary and ecological time scales. This study explores the influence of biogeographic and climatic factors on island species–area relationships (ISARs) in volcanic and continental islands, aiming to detect differences in slopes and intercepts between these island origins. Methods Data from 5049 vegetation plots on 58 Central Mediterranean Sea islands were collected from various sources. Islands were categorized as volcanic or continental based on their geological origin. area, isolation, maximum elevation, eccentricity, mean annual temperature and annual precipitation were calculated for each island. By using a moving window, we created groups of islands, and ISARs were fitted to each group using the Arrhenius power functions. Linear models and a permutation test were employed to examine how ISAR model parameters varied with the above-mentioned variables. Results While ISAR intercept values did not differ between island origins, volcanic islands showed higher ISAR slopes than continental islands. Whereas increasing island isolation and mean annual temperature increased ISAR intercepts on continental islands groups, it decreased on volcanic ones. Increasing annual precipitation decreased ISAR intercept on continental islands groups and increased on volcanic islands groups. Increasing island isolation, eccentricity and mean annual temperature increased the ISAR slope on volcanic islands groups while increasing annual precipitation decreased it. Increasing maximum elevation increased ISAR slope on continental islands groups. Main conclusions Our study provides evidence about the importance of island geological origin in determining the observed ISAR patterns. Biogeographic and climatic factors are pivotal in shaping species richness patterns on islands, exerting varying influences on both volcanic and continental islands.

Island biodiversity in peril: Anticipating a loss of mammals' functional diversity with future species extinctions.

Islands are biodiversity hotspots that host unique assemblages. However, a substantial proportion of island species are threatened and their long-term survival is uncertain. Identifying and preserving vulnerable species has become a priority, but it is also essential to combine this information with other facets of biodiversity like functional diversity, to understand how future extinctions might affect ecosystem stability and functioning. Focusing on mammals, we (i) assessed how much functional space would be lost if threatened species go extinct, (ii) determined the minimum number of extinctions that would cause a significant functional loss, (iii) identified the characteristics (e.g., biotic, climatic, geographic, or orographic) of the islands most vulnerable to future changes in the functional space, and (iv) quantified how much of that potential functional loss would be offset by introduced species. Using trait information for 1474 mammal species occurring in 318 islands worldwide, we built trait probability density functions to quantify changes in functional richness and functional redundancy in each island if the mammals categorized by IUCN as threatened disappeared. We found that the extinction of threatened mammals would reduce the functional space in 63% of the assessed islands, although these extinctions in general would cause a reduction of less than 15% of their overall functional space. Also, on most islands, the extinction of just a few species would be sufficient to cause a significant loss of functional diversity. The potential functional loss would be higher on small, isolated, and/or species-rich islands, and, in general, the functional space lost would not be offset by introduced species. Our results show that the preservation of native species and their ecological roles remains crucial for maintaining the current functioning of island ecosystems. Therefore, conservation measures considering functional diversity are imperative to safeguard the unique functional roles of threatened mammal species on islands.

Rising Temperatures, Falling Leaves: Predicting the Fate of Cyprus's Endemic Oak under Climate and Land Use Change.

Endemic island species face heightened extinction risk from climate-driven shifts, yet standard models often underestimate threat levels for those like Quercus alnifolia, an iconic Cypriot oak with pre-adaptations to aridity. Through species distribution modelling, we investigated the potential shifts in its distribution under future climate and land-use change scenarios. Our approach uniquely combines dispersal constraints, detailed soil characteristics, hydrological factors, and anticipated soil erosion data, offering a comprehensive assessment of environmental suitability. We quantified the species' sensitivity, exposure, and vulnerability to projected changes, conducting a preliminary IUCN extinction risk assessment according to Criteria A and B. Our projections uniformly predict range reductions, with a median decrease of 67.8% by the 2070s under the most extreme scenarios. Additionally, our research indicates Quercus alnifolia's resilience to diverse erosion conditions and preference for relatively dry climates within a specific annual temperature range. The preliminary IUCN risk assessment designates Quercus alnifolia as Critically Endangered in the future, highlighting the need for focused conservation efforts. Climate and land-use changes are critical threats to the species' survival, emphasising the importance of comprehensive modelling techniques and the urgent requirement for dedicated conservation measures to safeguard this iconic species.

Avian Island Radiations Shed Light on the Dynamics of Adaptive and Nonadaptive Radiation.

Understanding the mechanisms underlying species formation and differentiation is a central goal of evolutionary biology and a formidable challenge. This understanding can provide valuable insights into the origins of the astonishing diversity of organisms living on our planet. Avian evolutionary radiations on islands have long fascinated biologists as they provide the ideal variation to study the ecological and evolutionary forces operating on the continuum between incipient lineages to complete speciation. In this review, we summarize the key insights gained from decades of research on adaptive and nonadaptive radiations of both extant and extinct insular bird species. We present a new comprehensive global list of potential avian radiations on oceanic islands, based on published island species checklists, taxonomic studies, and phylogenetic analyses. We demonstrate that our understanding of evolutionary processes is being greatly enhanced through the use of genomic tools. However, to advance the field, it is critical to complement this information with a solid understanding of the ecological and behavioral traits of both extinct and extant avian island species.

Seabird guano inputs increase impacts from introduced mammals on the native plants and animals of an oceanic island.

Seabirds create fluxes of nutrients from marine to terrestrial ecosystems that influence the food webs of small islands. We investigated how guano inputs shape terrestrial food webs by comparing species of selected plant and animal species in a red-footed booby colony in Mona Island (Puerto Rico, Caribbean Sea), to sites of the island lacking guano inputs. We quantified guano deposition and its relationship to plant biomass production, fecundity and density, as well as the activity of native and introduced animal species. In general, guano inputs increased the gross primary plant productivity, size, and fecundity by twofold. Guano inputs were also associated with twofold increases in density of Anole lizards, but also to increases in the activity of introduced pigs (> 500%), goats (> 30%), and cats (> 500%), which negatively impact native species. In particular, elevated pig and cat activity within the booby colony was correlated with lower activity of endemic ground lizards and of introduced rats. Our results also suggest that severe droughts associated with climate change exacerbate the negative effects that introduced species have on vegetation and reduce the positive effects of seabird guano inputs. Our findings underscore the importance of allochthonous guano inputs in subsidizing plant productivity and native and endemic species in small oceanic islands, but also in increasing the negative impacts of introduced mammals. Management and conservation efforts should focus on the exclusion (or eradication) of introduced mammals, particularly pigs and goats, from remnant seabird colonies in Mona Island.

Rolling with the punches—How competition shapes the morphology of small passerines on small islands

AbstractAimWallacea is a global biodiversity hotspot and Sulawesi is the largest island in this region, notable for a high proportion of endemic species. The Wakatobi archipelago, off the southeastern peninsular arm of Sulawesi, is home to several endemic bird species. Although islands are known to influence the morphology of their resident species, competitive interactions also exert strong influences on morphology. Here, we consider the contributions of both islands and competitors on two morphological traits of two bird species in a small passerine guild found on the Wakatobi islands.LocationWakatobi archipelago, Sulawesi Tenggara, Indonesia.TaxonWakatobi White‐eye (Zosterops flavissimus) and Wakatobi Sunbird (Cinnyris infrenatus).MethodsWorking with morphological measures (from netting studies), population density metrics (from transect surveys) and fundamental data from islands (area, distance from mainland and elevation), we investigated (by means of multiple linear regression) which terms best explained variation in the body size and bill size of two small passerine birds endemic to the Wakatobi islands.ResultsBoth island metrics and competitor presence/density were useful in describing the variation in body size of both bird species. However, only competitor presence/density was useful in describing variation in bill size of the birds. The best models describing variation in these traits included terms representing both interspecific and intraspecific competition.Main ConclusionsOur findings indicate that simple island metrics may be useful in predicting some of the variation in some functional traits of island species. However, in this example, simple island metrics were insufficient to explain the full variation in body size of endemic birds across the Wakatobi archipelago and were of no use in predicting the variation in their bill size. As bill morphology frequently dictates diet and feeding niche, it is a trait which may determine population divergence and speciation. If simple island metrics fail to describe such diversification, it is surely important to capture that information in other ways.

Breeding parameters of a Great Tit (Parus major) population on the island of Cyprus compared to other Mediterranean populations

Many studies on the Great Tit, Parus major, have been conducted within the Mediterranean Basin, especially on its reproductive biology, forest habitat interactions, and nutritional resources. However, to date no detailed scientific research on these issues has been conducted on the island of Cyprus with a general paucity in research on this topic from the Eastern Mediterranean. Island species, through reduced gene flow and general isolation often evolve reproductive differences from their mainland relatives. As Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean and the most easterly positioned it provides an ideal opportunity compare the breeding biology of this island population with those from the wider Mediterranean region. This study aimed to gather some baseline reproductive data for Great Tits breeding in Cyprus. This data was then used to compare the reproductive outputs of Cypriot Great Tits from the sub species Parus major aphrodite with other Mediterranean island populations. This study was performed over a 3-year period during the breeding seasons of 2016-2018 in four evergreen forest areas. Mean clutch size was 7.7 eggs and hatching success 76.0%. The mean weight of the young was 16.3 g and mean tarsus length 18.7 mm. Significant differences were found between the years of the study, both in mean clutch size (p<0.0001) and the day of the first egg (p<0.0001), with 2016 producing the largest clutches and clutches being laid earlier than the subsequent two years. The start of the breeding season of the Great Tit was considerably earlier in Cyprus compared to other Mediterranean regions.