A review of the small-island effect detection methods and method advancement

Abstract

Background & Aim: The small-island effect (SIE) describes a phenomenon when below a certain threshold area, species richness varies independently of island size or increases at a lesser rate than for larger islands. The SIE has become a fundamental framework in biodiversity science and island biogeography because the area threshold of an SIE may be the turning point for many biogeographic patterns and ecological processes across spatial scales, and such phenomenon is significant in the research field of biodiversity conservation. In this paper, we first briefly introduce the relationship between the SIE and species-area relationships (SARs). Secondly, we summarize the five detection methods of SIEs found in the literature. Finally, we discuss the advantages and shortcomings of each detection method. We provide feasible suggestions for the accurate detection of an SIE to improve the theoretical framework in this field of research.