Often called the “Galapagos Islands” of the north, the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve in eastern Quebec is home to many diverse aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The islands and islets that make up this Archipelago provide habitats for a number of rare plant species, which have been monitored over the years by Parks Canada. Plant species in the Park Reserve are protected from development, though they are still vulnerable to indirect disturbance, for example from recreation. In the 1960’s, ecologist Robert MacArthur and biologist E. O. Wilson popularized the concept of island biogeography theory. This theory postulates that island size and location will determine species number and diversity, predicting that islands closer to the mainland will have a greater number of species, as will larger islands. The number of species on an island is found by determining the equilibrium between rate of species immigrating to an island and number of species becoming extinct on that island. We wanted to examine this theory through the lens of rare plant biodiversity. Rarity of a species is the result of threats, and is particularly concerning in habitats where subpopulations are geographically or reproductively isolated. Species diversity is crucial to ecosystem health, thus increases in rarity among species destabilizes ecosystems and puts them at risk of collapse.
Biologists interested in reducing negative impacts on rare species and reducing threats to their survival must first have a comprehensive understanding of how they interact with their environment. In examining the interactions between island biogeography and rare plant species, we hope to provide insight that can be useful in island ecosystem conservation and protection of rare species.
This website was created as a credit requirement for the University of Alberta REN R 480 course using data collected by the Mingan Archipelago National Reserve Park research and monitoring program.