This document provides student instructions for an activity exploring the theory of island biogeography. Students will simulate habitat fragmentation by analyzing how bean "migrants" spread from a main ecosystem to four island habitats of varying sizes and distances. They will conduct five trials, recording the number of beans reaching each island and calculating averages and percentages. The goal is to observe how island characteristics like size and distance affect biodiversity, as measured by the number of migrant beans reaching different islands.

1. AP ENVIONMENTAL SCIENCE
Student Instructions For the Island Biogeography
Activity
In this activity you will be looking at the effect that habitat fragmentation has on
biodiversity. You will explore how the size of an island habitat and its distance to the
main ecosystem affects its biodiversity. Specifically, you will be analyzing how likely it
is for migrants from the main ecosystem to reach the various habitat islands.
1. Answer questions 1 and 2 on the Theory of Island Biogeography Guide-sheet
concerning your hypothesis before beginning the simulation.
2. Get the piece of butcher paper with the Main Ecosystem and the four habitat islands
and then place it on a table or lab counter. Make sure it lies flat with no bumps.
3. Count out 100 pinto beans from the plastic bag. The beans will represent your
migrating species.
4. Place the two metric sticks on edge at the top and bottom of the butcher to prevent
“migrating” beans from bouncing onto the floor.
5. Hold the 100 beans in your hand 20cm above the target dot in the center of the Main
Ecosystem. Slowly let the beans fall onto the target dot. They will bounce and
“migrate” all over the butcher paper. Some will make it to island habitats and live
while others will not.
6. Count the beans that landed in the four island habitat circles. Beans that land on the
circle lines should be counted because they made it to the island’s beach. Record the
data for each island in its column in the Data Chart.
7. Repeat the “migration” four more times so that you have a total of five migrations.
8. Figure out the average for the five migrations for each island. Record the averages.
9. Figure out the percent that each island received of the total migrants. Do this by
adding up the four averages and dividing that number into each of the separate
averages for each of the four islands.
10. Finally, answer the questions 3 to 11 on the back of the Theory of Island
Biogeography Guide-sheet.