The answer is "The number of species increases".
This is described by the Species-Area Relationship, one of the most well-established patterns in ecology. The relationship is expressed as:
S = cA^z
Where:
- S = number of species
- A = area
- c = a constant (depends on the taxon and region)
- z = a constant reflecting the slope (typically 0.20-0.35 for most groups)
As area increases, the number of species found in that community consistently increases. This holds true across virtually all taxa and ecosystems studied. The reasoning behind it:
- Larger areas support larger populations, reducing extinction risk
- Larger areas contain more habitat diversity, allowing more ecological niches
- Immigration rate into larger areas is higher (more "target" for colonizers)
This principle is foundational in conservation biology - it's why habitat fragmentation is so harmful, as breaking up large continuous habitats into smaller patches reduces total species richness.
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