Authors

Jonathan M. Chase, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Mario Liebergesell, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Alban Sagouis, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Felix May, Leuphana University
Shane A. Blowes, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Åke Berg, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Enrico Bernard, Federal University of Pernambuco
Berry J. Brosi, Emory University School of Medicine
Marc W. Cadotte, University of Toronto
Luis Cayuela, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
Adriano G. Chiarello, University of São Paulo
Jean Francois Cosson, Université Paris-Est
Will Cresswell, School of Biology
Filibus Danjuma Dami, University of Jos
Jens Dauber, Thünen Institute of Biodiversity
Chris R. Dickman, University of Sydney and Concord Hospital
Raphael K. Didham, University of Western Australia
David P. Edwards, University of Sheffield
Fábio Z. Farneda, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
Yoni Gavish, Leeds University
Thiago Gonçalves-Souza, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco
Demetrio Luis Guadagnin, Bairro Agronomia
Mickaël Henry, UR406 Abeilles et Environnement
Adrià López-Baucells, University of Lisbon
Heike Kappes, Thünen Institute of Biodiversity
Ralph Mac Nally, University of Canberra
Shiiwua Manu, University of Jos
Alexandre Camargo Martensen, Federal University of São Carlos
Duncan McCollin, University of Northampton

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1-2019

Identifier/URL

40869164 (Pure); 31380568 (PubMed)

Abstract

Habitat destruction is the single greatest anthropogenic threat to biodiversity. Decades of research on this issue have led to the accumulation of hundreds of data sets comparing species assemblages in larger, intact, habitats to smaller, more fragmented, habitats. Despite this, little synthesis or consensus has been achieved, primarily because of non-standardized sampling methodology and analyses of notoriously scale-dependent response variables (i.e., species richness). To be able to compare and contrast the results of habitat fragmentation on species’ assemblages, it is necessary to have the underlying data on species abundances and sampling intensity, so that standardization can be achieved. To accomplish this, we systematically searched the literature for studies where abundances of species in assemblages (of any taxa) were sampled from many habitat patches that varied in size. From these, we extracted data from several studies, and contacted authors of studies where appropriate data were collected but not published, giving us 117 studies that compared species assemblages among habitat fragments that varied in area. Less than one-half (41) of studies came from tropical forests of Central and South America, but there were many studies from temperate forests and grasslands from all continents except Antarctica. Fifty-four of the studies were on invertebrates (mostly insects), but there were several studies on plants (15), birds (16), mammals (19), and reptiles and amphibians (13). We also collected qualitative information on the length of time since fragmentation. With data on total and relative abundances (and identities) of species, sampling effort, and affiliated meta-data about the study sites, these data can be used to more definitively test hypotheses about the role of habitat fragmentation in altering patterns of biodiversity. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper and the associated Dryad data set if the data are used in publications.

Comments

This work is licensed under CC BY 4.0

© Copyright © 2021 Miller, Crowley, Bataille, Wald, Kelly, Gaetano, Bahn and Druckenmiller.

DOI

10.1002/ecy.2861

ecy2861-sup-0001-metadatas1.pdf (1083 kB)
Supporting Material: Paper

ecy2861-sup-0002-datss1.csv (1437 kB)
Supporting Material: Dataset

Additional Files

ecy2861-sup-0001-metadatas1.pdf (1083 kB)
Supporting Material: Paper

ecy2861-sup-0002-datss1.csv (1437 kB)
Supporting Material: Dataset


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