Question

Text 1
The "Island Biogeography Theory" posits that islands closer to a mainland source will have higher species richness than those farther away, due to easier colonization and greater immigration rates, regardless of island size.
Text 2
Researchers studied bird communities on a chain of islands, all of similar size and habitat, but varying greatly in distance from the mainland. They found that islands further from the mainland often supported greater bird diversity than closer islands, particularly in species that rely on rare, specialized food sources found only on those distant islands.
Based on the texts, how would the researchers in Text 2 most likely characterize the prediction of the Island Biogeography Theory (Text 1)?
A. It is a robust model that accurately explains most island ecosystems.
B. It is an oversimplification that fails to account for niche specialization.
C. It is a sound theory, but its application is limited to very large islands.
D. It is a flawed concept that should be entirely discarded in ecological studies.

Answer 1

B. It is an oversimplification that fails to account for niche specialization.

The researchers' findings — greater diversity on more distant islands driven by species tied to rare, specialized resources — indicate the theory misses important ecological factors (niche specialization and resource distribution), rather than being universally accurate or wholly worthless.