Ecology 6th Edition by Charles Krebs

Exercise 2

Barro Colorado Island was formed 85 years ago in central Panama when Gatun Lake was created as part of the Panama Canal. Since that time 65 of 394 species of birds have disappeared from the island, 21 of them in the past 25 years. Discuss what mechanisms might cause extinctions of birds that can fly in an undisturbed area of tropical forest. Robinson (1999) discusses these changes.