Patch size effects on plant species decline in an experimentally fragmented landscape

Collins, Cathy D.; Holt, Robert D.; Foster, Bryan L.

doi:10.1890/08-1405.1

Cited by 61 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…The effects of habitat fragmentation on populations, communities, and ecosystems can take years to decades before becoming apparent, suggesting that patches will continue to lose species and see declines in ecosystem functions for considerable time periods (e.g., Brooks et al 1999;Collins et al 2009). Our ability to reduce the loss of species and functions during this period of decline merits investigation.…”

Section: How Does Fragmentation Predictably and Consistently Alter Thmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat fragmentation and biodiversity conservation: key findings and future challenges

et al. 2015

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Section: How Does Fragmentation Predictably and Consistently Alter Thmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat fragmentation and biodiversity conservation: key findings and future challenges

et al. 2015

Self Cite

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“…This is because they have a homogeneous matrix, distinct habitat boundaries, and are formed by a single simultaneous disturbance event. This combination of features minimizes the influence of several confounding factors related to disturbance history, succession, and matrix heterogeneity that have caused difficulties in previous studies of terrestrial fragmented landscapes [2], [40], [41].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Landscape Variables on the Species-Area Relationship during Late-Stage Habitat Fragmentation

Feeley

et al. 2012

PLoS ONE

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Few studies have focused explicitly on the later stages of the fragmentation process, or “late-stage fragmentation”, during which habitat area and patch number decrease simultaneously. This lack of attention is despite the fact that many of the anthropogenically fragmented habitats around the world are, or soon will be, in late-stage fragmentation. Understanding the ecological processes and patterns that occur in late-stage fragmentation is critical to protect the species richness in these fragments. We investigated plant species composition on 152 islands in the Thousand Island Lake, China. A random sampling method was used to create simulated fragmented landscapes with different total habitat areas and numbers of patches mimicking the process of late-stage fragmentation. The response of the landscape-scale species-area relationship (LSAR) to fragmentation per se was investigated, and the contribution of inter-specific differences in the responses to late-stage fragmentation was tested. We found that the loss of species at small areas was compensated for by the effects of fragmentation per se, i.e., there were weak area effects on species richness in landscapes due to many patches with irregular shapes and high variation in size. The study also illustrated the importance of inter-specific differences for responses to fragmentation in that the LSARs of rare and common species were differently influenced by the effects of fragmentation per se. In conclusion, our analyses at the landscape scale demonstrate the significant influences of fragmentation per se on area effects and the importance of inter-specific differences for responses to fragmentation in late-stage fragmentation. These findings add to our understanding of the effects of habitat fragmentation on species diversity.

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“…; Gaston & Fuller ), and hence their response to fragmentation has important consequences for ecosystem functioning and food web interactions that, to date, have been poorly studied (Gonzalez & Chaneton ; Collins et al. ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community (re)organization in an experimentally fragmented forest landscape: insights from occupancy–scale patterns of common plant species

Morgan

Farmilo

2012

J Vegetation Science

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Question How does experimental habitat fragmentation of a temperate Australian eucalypt forest affect local population patterns of common plant species 22 yr after landscape transformation to a pine plantation? Location Wog Wog Habitat Fragmentation Experiment, southeast Australia. Methods We use occupancy–scale relationships to examine the patterns of community organization of common understorey plant species in fragmented forests (small: 0.25 ha; large: 3.062 ha) relative to an intact native forest. Results Occupancy–scale patterns for intact forest and large‐sized remnants were isotropic; slope (z) values ranged across all values, from aggregated to scattered. In the smallest remnants, however, mean and median z values, as well as their interquartile range, were significantly lower than expected. The convergence in occupancy–scale relationships in small remnants hints that many of the commonest plant species have become even more common (i.e. aggregated). Conclusions The ecological assembly processes that influence common species in small‐sized remnants differ from those in larger remnants and intact forest. Fragmentation effects on assembly processes are greater at smaller patch sizes because these habitats are likely altered by changed environmental filters more so than large patches. Such shifts may have implications for habitat structure, ecosystem function and food web interactions in small remnant forests.

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Patch size effects on plant species decline in an experimentally fragmented landscape

Cited by 61 publications

References 43 publications

Habitat fragmentation and biodiversity conservation: key findings and future challenges

Habitat fragmentation and biodiversity conservation: key findings and future challenges

The Effects of Landscape Variables on the Species-Area Relationship during Late-Stage Habitat Fragmentation

Community (re)organization in an experimentally fragmented forest landscape: insights from occupancy–scale patterns of common plant species

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