The Theory of Island Biogeography
r-selection dominates in unstable, unpredictable environments
MacArthur and Wilson's work introduced r/K selection theory, explaining why some organisms produce many offspring with little investment (r-selection: bacteria, insects) while others produce few offspring with heavy investment (K-selection: elephants, whales). The key insight: neither strategy is 'better' - each is optimized for different environmental conditions.
For business leaders, this explains why startups and enterprises succeed with opposite strategies. Startups thrive with r-selection (iterate fast, fail often, bet on volume) in unstable markets. Enterprises thrive with K-selection (invest heavily, protect quality) in stable markets. Applying the wrong strategy to your environment is fatal.
Key Findings from MacArthur et al. (1967)
- r-selection dominates in unstable, unpredictable environments
- K-selection dominates in stable, competitive environments
- Neither strategy is inherently superior
- Environment determines optimal reproductive strategy
- r-selection: many offspring, low investment, fast iteration - dominates unstable environments
- K-selection: few offspring, high investment, quality focus - dominates stable environments
- Neither strategy is universally better; environment determines fitness
- Most species exhibit traits of both strategies along a spectrum
Used in 2 chapters
See how this research informs the book's frameworks:
Introduced r/K selection theory explaining why different reproductive strategies (volume vs. investment) are optimized for different environmental conditions.
See reproductive strategy theory →Seminal work introducing r/K selection framework - r-strategists dominate unstable environments, K-strategists dominate stable ones.
See environmental fitness →