DUPLICATE Biodiversity Response To Habitat Loss And Fragmentation

R. Pardini
Elizabeth Nichols, Swarthmore College
T. Püttker

Abstract

Humans have altered large areas of the Earth surface, fragmenting most of the Earth's native vegetation into patches separated by a matrix of land converted to a variety of anthropogenic land-uses. This longstanding, intense, and global process of native vegetation conversion has created a social demand for scientific support for mitigating the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on biodiversity. Here, we present key definitions and synthesize the processes underlying the effect of habitat loss and fragmentation, what we know and what is needed to advance our understanding on habitat loss and fragmentation effects, and how to mitigate them.