The introduced Hawaiian avifauna: biogeographic evidence for competition ( passeriforms, columbiforms).

Discusses the patterns of introduction and extinction of the species of land birds (passeriforms and columbiforms) introduced to the Hawaiian Islands over the last century. Data are consistent with the idea that rising extinction rates will eventually match immigration rates leading to a dynamic equilibrium. Turnover in species composition is a prominent feature of the introduced Hawaiian avifauna with extinctions common even among populations that had persisted for decades. No effect of island size on extinction rate was detected. However, the per species extinction rates do increase with the number of species on the island. This suggests that the species mutually affect each other's changes of extinction. -from Authors

Duke Scholars

Author Stuart L. Pimm Environmental Sciences and Policy