Immigration Rates in Fragmented Landscapes – Empirical Evidence for the Importance of Habitat Amount for Species Persistence

Püttker, Thomas; Bueno, Adriana A.; Barros, Camila Santos; Sommer, Simone; Pardini, Renata

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027963

Cited by 46 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…These results are also comparable to observed trends for other taxonomic groups [14,30], and corroborate the idea that species-specific extinction thresholds are similar among habitat specialist species and are associated with the exponential increase in the distance among forest patches around ~20% of remaining habitat [8], which would prevent dispersal among sub-populations [31]. …”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Forest Loss and the Biodiversity Threshold: An Evaluation Considering Species Habitat Requirements and the Use of Matrix Habitats

2013

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Habitat loss is the main driver of the current biodiversity crisis, a landscape-scale process that affects the survival of spatially-structured populations. Although it is well-established that species responses to habitat loss can be abrupt, the existence of a biodiversity threshold is still the cause of much controversy in the literature and would require that most species respond similarly to the loss of native vegetation. Here we test the existence of a biodiversity threshold, i.e. an abrupt decline in species richness, with habitat loss. We draw on a spatially-replicated dataset on Atlantic forest small mammals, consisting of 16 sampling sites divided between forests and matrix habitats in each of five 3600-ha landscapes (varying from 5% to 45% forest cover), and on an a priori classification of species into habitat requirement categories (forest specialists, habitat generalists and open-area specialists). Forest specialists declined abruptly below 30% of forest cover, and spillover to the matrix occurred only in more forested landscapes. Generalists responded positively to landscape heterogeneity, peaking at intermediary levels of forest cover. Open area specialists dominated the matrix and did not spillover to forests. As a result of these distinct responses, we observed a biodiversity threshold for the small mammal community below 30% forest cover, and a peak in species richness just above this threshold. Our results highlight that cross habitat spillover may be asymmetrical and contingent on landscape context, occurring mainly from forests to the matrix and only in more forested landscapes. Moreover, they indicate the potential for biodiversity thresholds in human-modified landscapes, and the importance of landscape heterogeneity to biodiversity. Since forest loss affected not only the conservation value of forest patches, but also the potential for biodiversity-mediated services in anthropogenic habitats, our work indicates the importance of proactive measures to avoid human-modified landscapes to cross this threshold.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Forest Loss and the Biodiversity Threshold: An Evaluation Considering Species Habitat Requirements and the Use of Matrix Habitats

2013

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“…Small and isolated vegetation remnants generally attract fewer immigrants (Wauters et al , ; Holland & Bennett, ). Decreased dispersal success caused by death during dispersal or the inability to locate appropriate habitat in high‐intensity land‐use areas lowers immigration rates (Matthysen, ; Püttker et al , ) and reduces population viability, even in mobile animals, such as birds (Cooper & Walters, ; Robles et al , ). Measurements of genetic connectivity among populations suggest decreases in dispersal in fragmented landscapes (Vos et al , ).…”

Section: Mechanisms Affecting Demographic Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of climate change and land‐use change on demographic rates and population viability

2014

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Understanding the processes that lead to species extinctions is vital for lessening pressures on biodiversity. While species diversity, presence and abundance are most commonly used to measure the effects of human pressures, demographic responses give a more proximal indication of how pressures affect population viability and contribute to extinction risk. We reviewed how demographic rates are affected by the major anthropogenic pressures, changed landscape condition caused by human land use, and climate change. We synthesized the results of 147 empirical studies to compare the relative effect size of climate and landscape condition on birth, death, immigration and emigration rates in plant and animal populations. While changed landscape condition is recognized as the major driver of species declines and losses worldwide, we found that, on average, climate variables had equally strong effects on demographic rates in plant and animal populations. This is significant given that the pressures of climate change will continue to intensify in coming decades. The effects of climate change on some populations may be underestimated because changes in climate conditions during critical windows of species life cycles may have disproportionate effects on demographic rates. The combined pressures of land‐use change and climate change may result in species declines and extinctions occurring faster than otherwise predicted, particularly if their effects are multiplicative.

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“…For example, Vieira, Almeida‐Gomes, Delciellos, Cerqueira and Crouzeilles () used forest cover as a proxy of habitat amount and then selected only forest species of non‐volant small mammals to test the habitat amount hypothesis. Indeed, there is evidence of a positive relationship between species diversity and total amount of habitat in fragmented landscapes (Andrén, ; Melo, Sponchiado, Cáceres & Fahrig, ; Pardini, Bueno, Gardner, Prado & Metzger, ; Püttker, Bueno, Barros, Sommer & Pardini, ; Smith, Fahrig & Francis, ), but also of the existence of fragmentation thresholds or regime shifts in the relationship between the amount of habitat and the number and composition of species (Andrén, ; Banks‐Leite et al., ; Pardini et al., ). However, comparatively, fewer studies have aimed to test how the reduction in amount of habitat in fragmented landscapes affects functional diversity and, most importantly, whether the relationship is linear or includes thresholds of habitat loss where function diversity reduces more sharply.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat amount drives the functional diversity and nestedness of anuran communities in an Atlantic Forest fragmented landscape

et al. 2019

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Natural environments disturbed by human activities can suffer from species extinctions, but some can still harbor high taxonomic diversity. However, disturbances may have impacts beyond the species level, if the species lost represent unique functions in the ecosystem. In this study, we evaluated to what extent the amount of habitat can determine the functional diversity and nestedness of amphibian communities in an Atlantic Forest fragmented landscape in Brazil, and if there is a threshold of habitat amount beyond which there is severe loss of functional diversity. As species responses may depend on their habitat type, we performed the analyses for three different sets of species: all species, forest‐dependent species, and generalist species. We also evaluated the relative importance of turnover and nestedness components to total functional dissimilarity among sites. Habitat amount affected functional diversity of frogs, especially for forest‐dependent species where a linear reduction was detected. The functional dissimilarity among sites was mostly explained by the nestedness component. The reduction of functional diversity was mediated by an ordered loss of traits, leading to a functionally nested metacommunity. These sensitive traits were closely related to habits and reproductive modes that depend on rivers and streams. The maintenance of functional diversity of frogs in fragmented landscapes must rely on the conservation of both terrestrial and aquatic environments, as some species and their traits can disappear from remnants of native vegetation lacking some specific habitats (e.g. streams). Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.

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Immigration Rates in Fragmented Landscapes – Empirical Evidence for the Importance of Habitat Amount for Species Persistence

Cited by 46 publications

References 68 publications

Forest Loss and the Biodiversity Threshold: An Evaluation Considering Species Habitat Requirements and the Use of Matrix Habitats

Forest Loss and the Biodiversity Threshold: An Evaluation Considering Species Habitat Requirements and the Use of Matrix Habitats

The effects of climate change and land‐use change on demographic rates and population viability

Habitat amount drives the functional diversity and nestedness of anuran communities in an Atlantic Forest fragmented landscape

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