Final answer:
Mountain tops can be seen as 'islands' of biodiversity with unique species and ecosystems, justifying the use of island biogeography theory due to their isolation and distinct environmental conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The theory of island biogeography, developed by MacArthur and Wilson, can be justified for use on the tops of mountains by considering these high-elevation habitats as 'islands' of biodiversity within a 'sea' of lower elevation landscapes. This idea stems from the recognition that like true islands, mountain tops provide isolated environments where species may undergo processes such as adaptive radiation, leading to the formation of specialized species adapted to their unique environments.
The principles of island biogeography suggest that biodiversity on these montane islands is a function of immigration, speciation, and extinction rates similar to oceanic islands. Since mountains are isolated by the different environmental conditions of surrounding lowlands, they have a similar effect on species as bodies of water surrounding an island. Thus, these mountain tops can support unique communities of plants and animals that have evolved in isolation from those in the surrounding lowlands.