The Model of Island Biogeography Is a Mathematical Model

question 33

Multiple Choice

The model of island biogeography is a mathematical model. How do we know it actually holds true in the "real" world?

• A) Mathematical models are always accurate
• B) Scientists collect data from real ecosystems to test it.
• C) The modelers tested it extensively in the field before they published it.
• D) The Simberloffs tested it in mangroves in Florida.
• E) We don't actually know, but it makes sense.

---

Definitions:

Mental

Pertaining to the mind or to mental states, processes, and faculties.

Nature

The physical world and everything in it that is not made by human beings, including plants, animals, and landscapes.

Invisible Hand

A term coined by Adam Smith to describe the self-regulating nature of the marketplace, where individuals' pursuit of their own self-interest often leads to beneficial effects for the society as a whole.

Adam Smith

An 18th-century Scottish economist and philosopher, best known for his works "The Wealth of Nations," which is considered the foundation of modern economic theory.