Genetic diversity generally underpins population resilience and persistence. Reductions in population size and absence of gene flow can lead to reductions in genetic diversity, reproductive fitness, and a limited ability to adapt to environmental change increasing the risk of extinction. Island populations are typically small and isolated, and as a result, inbreeding and reduced genetic diversi...

MacArthur and Wilson's theory of island biogeography predicts that island species richness should increase with island area. This prediction generally holds among large islands, but among small islands species richness often varies independently of island area, producing the so-called 'small-island effect' and an overall biphasic species-area relationship (SAR). Here, we develop a unified theor...

Dramatic declines of native Hawaiian avifauna due to the human-mediated emergence of avian malaria and pox prompted an examination of whether island taxa share a common altered immunological signature, potentially driven by reduced genetic diversity and reduced exposure to parasites. We tested this hypothesis by characterizing parasite prevalence, genetic diversity and three measures of immune ...

In the Ge on Si model heteroepitaxial system, metal patterns on the silicon surface provide unprecedented control over the morphology of highly ordered Ge islands. Island shape including nanorods and truncated pyramids is set by the metal species and substrate orientation. Analysis of island faceting elucidates the prominent role of the metal in promoting growth of preferred facet orientations ...

A low-energy electron microscopy study of two-dimensional Si~001! island shapes near thermal equilibrium on 10315 mm large single-domain terraces reveals a continuous increase of island aspect ratio and a shape transition from elliptical to ‘‘American-football’’-like with increasing island size. The size-dependent island shapes are driven by elastic relaxation caused by the intrinsic surface st...

Strained islands formed in heteroepitaxy sometimes change shape during growth. Here we show that there is typically a first-order shape transition with island size, with the discontinuous introduction of steeper facets at the island edge. We present a phase diagram for island shape as a function of volume and surface energy, showing how surface energy controls the sequence of island shapes with...

Three new Brachinus species namely B. grootaerti n. sp. (Palawan Island), B. palawanensis n. sp. (Palawan Island), B. mindanaoensis n. sp. (Mindanao Island) from Philippines were described. In addition, a modified key to the known Brachinus Philippine species is provided.

Aim Although bats of the Caribbean have been studied extensively, previous work is largely restricted to zoogeography, phylogeography or the effects of island characteristics on species richness. Variation among islands in species composition that is related to geographical or environmental variation remains poorly understood for much of the Caribbean. Location Caribbean islands, including the ...

This paper describes the first visit to Jacquemart Island in the south of the subantarctic Campbell Island group. The island contrasts with the main island by the absence of introduced grazing mammals, rats (Rattus spp.) and feral cats (Felis catus), and in the dominance of palatable plant species. A survey of the main vegetation communities was made and bird species seen were recorded. Specime...

Twenty rotifers (three Bdelloidea and 17 Monogononta, including new of Encentrum and Notholca) , a platyhelminth, two nematodes, two tardigrades, one cnchytraeid worm, four c1adoccrans, two copcpods and three species of mites were recovered from five small pools on Heard Island. The results indicate that the Heard Island fauna is closer to that of Signy Island and Macquarie Island than to that ...