Applied island biogeography and the conservation of endangered island birds in the Indian ocean

There has been much interest and controversy over the application of island biogeographic theory to conservation planning, but few attempts have been made actually to apply theory to specific conservation programmes. This paper demonstrates how island biogeography might play an important role in developing programmes to preserve several endangered island birds on the island of Mauritius. Biogeographic theory suggests that the present avifauna of Mauritius contains an excessive number of species, in view of the much reduced area of forest that exists on the island today. Inter-island transfers of four endangered birds from Mauritius to nearby Réunion Island are proposed and justified by biogeographical and ecological studies.