title: Refuge-effect hypothesis and the demise of the Dodo.
abstract: The Dodo was last sighted on the inshore island of Ile d'Ambre in 1662, nearly 25 years after the previous sighting on the mainland of Mauritius. It has been suggested that its survival on the inshore island is representative of the refuge effect. Understanding what constitutes significant persistence is fundamental to conservation. I tested the refuge-effect hypothesis for the persistence of the Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) on an inshore island beyond that of the mainland population. For a location to be considered a refuge, most current definitions suggest that both spatial and temporal isolation from the cause of disturbance are required. These results suggest the island was not a refuge for the Dodo because the sighting in 1662 was not temporally isolated from that of the mainland sightings. Furthermore, with only approximately 350 m separating Ile d'Ambre from the mainland of Mauritius, it is unlikely this population of Dodos was spatially isolated. Hipótesis del Efecto Refugio y la Desaparición del Dodo.
authors.affiliation: Durrell Institute of Conservation & Ecology, School of Anthropology & Conservation, Marlowe Building, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NR, United Kingdom. d.l.roberts@kent.ac.uk.
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D046092:Columbiformes / Q000502:physiology*; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D053476:Extinction, Biological; D062312:Islands; D008436:Mauritius; D060047:Reproductive Isolation
keywords: Gumbel domain of attraction; Islas Mauricio; Mauritius; Raphus cucullatus; dominio de atracción de Gumbel; efecto refugio; estadística de orden extremo; extreme order statistics; persistence; persistencia; población relicta; refuge effect; relict population; récord de avistamientos; sighting record