scholarly journals Landscape management of the mahogany glider (Petaurus gracilis) across its distribution: subpopulations and corridor priorities

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 152
Author(s):  
Stephen M. Jackson ◽  
Mark Parsons ◽  
Marcus Baseler ◽  
David Stanton
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Fragmentation ◽  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Average Length ◽  
Landscape Management ◽  
Habitat Connectivity ◽  
Wildlife Corridors ◽  
Remnant Vegetation ◽  
Habitat Loss And Fragmentation ◽  
Threatening Processes ◽  
High Degree

Key threatening processes to biodiversity include habitat loss and fragmentation, with populations restricted to small fragments of habitat being more prone to extinction. The mahogany glider (Petaurus gracilis) is endemic to sclerophyll woodland forests between Tully and Ingham in north Queensland and is one of Australia’s most endangered arboreal mammals due to these processes. The aim of this study was to identify the degree of habitat fragmentation of the remaining remnant vegetation of the mahogany glider, identify subpopulations within its distribution and identify key wildlife corridors for restoration to facilitate the movement of this species within and between subpopulations. Ten glider subpopulations, spread over 998 habitat fragments, were identified, of which only five subpopulations may currently be considered to be viable. To assist in providing habitat connectivity between and within the subpopulations, 55 corridors were identified for restoration that had an average length of 8.25 km. The average number of gaps greater than 30 m was 3.4 per corridor, with the average length of these gaps being 523 m. This study confirmed a high degree of habitat fragmentation across the distribution of the mahogany glider and highlighted the need to strengthen the remaining subpopulations by restoring habitat connectivity between the remaining habitat fragments.

scholarly journals Habitat loss and fragmentation increase realized predator-prey body size ratios

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmijn Hillaert ◽  
Martijn L. Vandegehuchte ◽  
Thomas Hovestadt ◽  
Dries Bonte
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Habitat Fragmentation ◽  
Food Web ◽  
Habitat Loss ◽  
The Body ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Habitat Loss And Fragmentation ◽  
Gap Crossing ◽  
Primary Consumers

AbstractIn the absence of predators, habitat fragmentation favors large body sizes in primary consumers with informed movement due to their high gap-crossing ability. However, the body size of primary consumers is not only shaped by such bottom-up effects, but also by top-down effects as predators prefer prey of a certain size. Therefore, higher trophic levels should be taken into consideration when studying the effect of habitat loss and fragmentation on size distributions of herbivores.We built a model to study the effect of habitat loss and fragmentation within a simple food web consisting of (i) a basal resource that is consumed by (ii) a herbivore that in turn is consumed by (iii) a predator. Our results highlight that predation may result in local accumulation of the resource via top-down control of the herbivore. As such, the temporal and spatial variation of the resource distribution is increased, selecting for increased herbivore movement. This results in selection of larger herbivores than in the scenario without predator. As predators cause herbivores to be intrinsically much larger than the optimal sizes selected by habitat fragmentation in the absence of predators, habitat fragmentation is no longer a driver of herbivore size. However, there is selection for increased predator size with habitat fragmentation as herbivores become less abundant, favoring gap-crossing ability of the predator. Since herbivore and predator body size respond differently to habitat loss and fragmentation, realized predator-herbivore body size ratios increase along this fragmentation gradient. Our model predicts the dominance of top-down forces in regulating body size selection in food webs and helps to understand how habitat destruction and fragmentation affect overall food web structure.

scholarly journals Habitat Fragmentation Effects on Community Composition of Carabid in Steppes of Northwest China

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu-hua Wei ◽  
Wen-guang Huang ◽  
Meng-meng Zhu ◽  
Li-yuan Gao ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Fragmentation ◽  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Soil Structure ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Carabid Beetles ◽  
Desert Steppe ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Habitat Loss And Fragmentation ◽  
Species Characteristics ◽  
Species Specific

It is well known that human activities and climate change have increased steppe habitat loss and fragmentation in Northwest China. Carabid beetles are often used as bioindicators of environmental change because they are extremely sensitive to disturbance. We chose 42 landscapes (18 fragmented and 24 continuous) in both desert and typical steppes of Northwest China to examine the influence of habitat loss and fragmentation on carabid beetle communities. The results showed the largest correlation coefficient between carabid communities and landscape compositions within a 7-km spatial scale in both desert and typical steppes. Further, the response of carabid communities to habitat fragmentation was species-specific in both desert and typical steppes. Habitat fragmentation in the desert steppe had positive effects on the richness and abundance of carabid communities, while in the typical steppe, the effects were negative. Additionally, habitat fragmentation significantly decreased the abundance of two common carabid species in the desert steppe. Therefore, the effects of habitat fragmentation on carabid biodiversity differ with species characteristics and habitat traits, where plant communities, soil structure, and microclimate vary in the different steppe types. The results of this study provide experimental evidence and technical support for biodiversity conservation management in the steppes of Northwest China.

Potential extinction debt due to habitat loss and fragmentation in subalpine moorland ecosystems

Plant Ecology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daichi Makishima ◽  
Rui Sutou ◽  
Akihito Goto ◽  
Yutaka Kawai ◽  
Naohiro Ishii ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Extinction Debt ◽  
Habitat Loss And Fragmentation

Consequences of habitat loss and fragmentation for wetland amphibian assemblages

Wetlands ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard M. Lehtinen ◽  
Susan M. Galatowitsch ◽  
John R. Tester
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Habitat Loss And Fragmentation

Assessing Mammal Species Losses Due to Habitat Loss and Fragmentation Across the World's Terrestrial Ecoregions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koen Jacobus Josefus Kuipers ◽  
Jelle P. Hilbers ◽  
John Garcia-Ulloa ◽  
Bente J. Graae ◽  
Roel May ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Habitat Loss And Fragmentation

scholarly journals Identifying wildlife corridors for the restoration of regional habitat connectivity: A multispecies approach and comparison of resistance surfaces

PLoS ONE ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. e0206071 ◽  
Author(s):  
Canran Liu ◽  
Graeme Newell ◽  
Matt White ◽  
Andrew F. Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Connectivity ◽  
Wildlife Corridors

scholarly journals Effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on the abundance and species richness of aphidophagous beetles and aphids in experimental alfalfa landscapes

2008 ◽  
Vol 105 (3) ◽  
pp. 411-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey A. GREZ ◽  
Tania ZAVIEZO ◽  
Sandra DIAZ ◽  
Bernardino CAMOUSSEIGT ◽  
Galaxia CORTES
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Habitat Loss And Fragmentation

scholarly journals Multi-taxa ecological responses to habitat loss and fragmentation in western Amazonia as revealed by RAPELD biodiversity surveys

2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 234-243
Author(s):  
Gabriel M. MOULATLET ◽  
Emmanuel AMBRIZ ◽  
Jennifer GUEVARA ◽  
Karima G. LÓPEZ ◽  
Marina RODES-BLANCO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Landscape Fragmentation ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Landscape Configuration ◽  
Edge Density ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Habitat Loss And Fragmentation ◽  
Taxonomic Groups

ABSTRACT Habitat loss and fragmentation caused by deforestation are important anthropogenic drivers of changes in biodiversity in the Amazon rainforest, and has reached its highest rate in recent decades. However, the magnitude and direction of the effects on species composition and distribution have yet to be fully understood. We evaluated the responses of four taxonomic groups − birds, amphibians, orchid bees, and dung beetles - to habitat loss and fragmentation at both species and assemblage level in the northern Ecuadorian Amazon. We sampled fifteen 250-m long plots in terra-firme forest remnants. We calculated one landscape fragmentation index (fragindex), which considers the proportion of continuous forest cover, edge density and isolation in the landscape, and nine landscape configuration metrics. Logistic regression models and multivariate regression trees were used to analyze species and assemblage responses. Our results revealed that over 80% of birds, amphibians or orchid-bee species, and 60% of dung beetles were negatively affected by habitat loss and fragmentation. Species composition of all taxonomic groups was significantly affected by differences in forest cover and connectivity. Less than 5% of all species were restricted to landscapes with fragindex values higher than 40%. Landscape metrics related to the shape and area of forest patches determined the magnitude and direction of the effect on species responses. Therefore, changes in the landscape configuration of Ecuadorian Amazonia should be minimized to diminish the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on species occurrence and assemblage composition.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document