Final answer:
The theory of island biogeography can be and has been applied to habitat patches in larger landscapes, demonstrating its conceptual flexibility beyond just physical islands.
Step-by-step explanation:
The theory of island biogeography developed by Robert H. MacArthur and Edward O. Wilson is not strictly limited to islands.
While initially focused on actual islands, the core concepts of the theory have been widely applied to fragmented habitats within larger landscapes, such as forest patches surrounded by developed land. This application to habitat fragments utilizes the same principles of species colonization and extinction rates and relates them to the area and isolation of the habitat patches.
These concepts are integral to preserve design and maintaining biodiversity, acknowledging that habitat fragments, much like islands, have dynamic relationships with their surrounding environments and demonstrate a balance between species colonization and extinction.