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1.
While several studies have demonstrated that roads can act as barriers to small mammal movement, the relationship between
road density and small mammal abundance has not yet been investigated. In southeastern Ontario, Peromyscus leucopus (white-footed mice) suffer high over-winter mortality rates, resulting in small springtime populations and frequent local
extinctions. Peromyscus leucopus movement is known to be inhibited by roads, which should result in lower rates of immigration into and recolonization of
habitats in landscapes with high road density. We tested two predictions: (1) Forest sites situated in landscapes with high
road densities have a higher chance of P. leucopus being absent during the early spring than forest sites situated in landscapes with low road densities and (2) P. leucopus populations during the summer are smaller in forest sites situated in landscapes with high road densities than in landscapes
with low road densities. We sampled P. leucopus in focal patches within nineteen landscapes (7 rural, low-road-density landscapes; 7 rural, high-road-density landscapes;
5 urban landscapes). There was no significant relationship between road density and the presence/absence of P. leucopus during the early spring. We found a significant positive effect of road density on P. leucopus relative abundance during the summer, even when we excluded the urban landscapes and based the analysis on only the 14 rural
landscapes. Our results suggest that any negative effect of roads on P. leucopus populations, created by their inhibition to moving across roads, is far outweighed by some positive effect of roads on P. leucopus abundance. We suggest that the two most likely explanations are that roads are positively correlated with an important as-yet-undetermined
component of habitat quality, or that roads positively affect P. leucopus by negatively affecting their predators. 相似文献
2.
Confronting collinearity: comparing methods for disentangling the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation 总被引：1，自引：1，他引：0
Adam C. Smith Nicola Koper Charles M. Francis Lenore Fahrig 《Landscape Ecology》2009,24(10):1271-1285
Estimating the relative importance of habitat loss and fragmentation is necessary to estimate the potential benefits of specific
management actions and to ensure that limited conservation resources are used efficiently. However, estimating relative effects
is complicated because the two processes are highly correlated. Previous studies have used a wide variety of statistical methods
to separate their effects and we speculated that the published results may have been influenced by the methods used. We used
simulations to determine whether, under identical conditions, the following 7 methods generate different estimates of relative
importance for realistically correlated landscape predictors: residual regression, model or variable selection, averaged coefficients
from all supported models, summed Akaike weights, classical variance partitioning, hierarchical variance partitioning, and
a multiple regression model with no adjustments for collinearity. We found that different methods generated different rankings
of the predictors and that some metrics were strongly biased. Residual regression and variance partitioning were highly biased
by correlations among predictors and the bias depended on the direction of a predictor’s effect (positive vs. negative). Our
results suggest that many efforts to deal with the correlation between amount and fragmentation may have done more harm than
good. If confounding effects are controlled and adequate thought is given to the ecological mechanisms behind modeled predictors,
then standardized partial regression coefficients are unbiased estimates of the relative importance of amount and fragmentation,
even when predictors are highly correlated. 相似文献
3.
Positive effects of forest fragmentation,independent of forest amount,on bat abundance in eastern Ontario,Canada 总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1
While studies have found that bat abundance is positively related to the amount of forest cover in a landscape, the effects
of forest fragmentation (breaking apart of forest, independent of amount) are less certain, with some indirect evidence for
positive effects of fragmentation. However, in most of these studies, the variables used to quantify fragmentation are confounded
with forest amount, making it difficult to interpret the results. The purpose of this study was to examine how forest amount
and forest fragmentation independently affect bat abundance. We conducted acoustic bat surveys at the centers of 22 landscapes
throughout eastern Ontario, Canada, where landscapes were chosen to avoid a correlation between forest amount and forest fragmentation
(number of patches) at multiple spatial scales, while simultaneously controlling for other variables that could affect bat
activity. We found that the effects of forest amount on bat relative abundance were mixed across species (positive for Lasiurus borealis, negative for Perimyotis subflavus and Lasionycteris noctivagans). When there was evidence for an effect of forest fragmentation, independent of forest amount, on bat relative abundance,
the effect was positive (Myotis septentrionalis, Myotis lucifugus and Lasiurus borealis). We suggest that the mechanism driving the positive responses to fragmentation is higher landscape complementation in more
fragmented landscapes; that is, increased access to both foraging and roosting sites for these bat species. We conclude that
fragmented landscapes that maximize complementation between roosting and foraging sites should support a higher diversity
and abundance of bats. 相似文献
4.
Response of generalist and specialist insect herbivores to landscape spatial structure 总被引：12，自引：1，他引：11
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect ofchanges in landscape pattern on generalist and specialistinsects. We did this by comparing the species richness andabundance of generalist and specialist herbivorous insects inalfalfa (Medicago sativa, L.) fields on 26 agriculturallandscapes that differed in spatial structure. The insects werefrom the families Curculionidae (Coleoptera), weevils, andCicadellidae (Auchennorhyncha), leafhoppers.We hypothesized that: (1) generalist richness and abundancewould be highest in landscapes with high diversity(Shannon-Wiener); (2) specialist richness and abundance would behighest in landscapes with (i) high percent cover alfalfa and(ii) low mean inter-patch distance. We tested for these effectsafter controlling for the patch-level effects of field size,field age, frequency of disturbance and vegetation texture.The important findings of the study are: (1) generalist richness andabundance increased with increasing landscape diversity and (2)isolation (percent cover alfalfa in the landscape and/or meaninter-patch distance) does not affect specialist insects. Theseresults are significant because they indicate that bothgeneralist and specialist insects may move over much largerdistances than previously thought. This is one of the firststudies to demonstrate a large scale effect of spatial structureon insects across a broad range of landscapes. 相似文献
5.
The spatial extent at which landscape structure best predicts population response, called the scale of effect, varies across species. An ability to predict the scale of effect of a landscape using species traits would make landscape study design more efficient and would enable landscape managers to plan at the appropriate scale. We used an individual based simulation model to predict how species traits influence the scale of effect. Specifically, we tested the effects of dispersal distance, reproductive rate, and informed movement behavior on the radius at which percent habitat cover best predicts population abundance in a focal area. Scale of effect for species with random movement behavior was compared to scale of effect for species with three (cumulative) levels of information use during dispersal: habitat based settlement, conspecific density based settlement, and gap-avoidance during movement. Consistent with a common belief among researchers, dispersal distance had a strong, positive influence on scale of effect. A general guideline for empiricists is to expect the radius of a landscape to be 4?C9 times the median dispersal distance or 0.3?C0.5 times the maximum dispersal distance of a species. Informed dispersal led to greater increases in population size than did increased reproductive rate. Similarly, informed dispersal led to more strongly decreased scales of effect than did reproductive rate. Most notably, gap-avoidance resulted in scales that were 0.2?C0.5 times those of non-avoidant species. This is the first study to generate testable hypotheses concerning the mechanisms underlying the scale at which populations respond to the landscape. 相似文献
6.
Endenburg Sarah Mitchell Greg W. Kirby Patrick Fahrig Lenore Pasher Jon Wilson Scott 《Landscape Ecology》2019,34(10):2385-2399
Landscape Ecology - Agricultural expansion is a principal driver of biodiversity loss, but the impacts on community assembly in agro-ecosystems are less clear, especially across regional scales at... 相似文献
7.
8.
Paul Miguet Heather B. Jackson Nathan D. Jackson Amanda E. Martin Lenore Fahrig 《Landscape Ecology》2016,31(6):1177-1194
Context
Landscape ecologists are often interested in measuring the effects of an environmental variable on a biological response; however, the strength and direction of effect depend on the size of the area within which the environmental variable is measured. Thus a central objective is to identify the optimal spatial extent within which to measure the environmental variable, i.e. the “scale of effect”.Objectives
Our objectives are (1) to provide a comprehensive summary of the hypotheses concerning what determines the scale of effect, (2) to provide predictions that can be tested in empirical studies, and (3) to show, with a review of the literature, that most of these predictions have so far been inadequately tested.Methods
We propose 14 predictions derived from five hypotheses explaining what determines the scale of effect, and review the literature (if any) supporting each prediction. These predictions involve five types of factors: (A) species traits, (B) landscape variables, (C) biological responses (e.g. abundance vs. occurrence), (D) indirect influences, and (E) regional context of the study. We identify methodological issues that hinder estimation of the scale of effect.Results
Of the 14 predictions, only nine have been tested empirically and only five have received some empirical support. Most support is from simulation studies. Empirical evidence usually does not support predictions.Conclusions
The study of the spatial scale at which landscape variables influence biological outcomes is in its infancy. We provide directions for future research by clarifying predictions concerning the determinants of the scale of effect.9.
Brooke M Fahrig Mark A Mitchell Bruce E Eilts Dale L Paccamonti 《Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine》2007,38(1):7-12
The phylogenetic order Squamata has many representatives that could benefit from the use of semen preservation as a tool for assisting conservation. To date, few studies have been made evaluating the potential for collecting and preserving semen from snakes. The objectives of this study were to characterize semen parameters of the corn snake (Elaphe guttata), including appearance, volume, concentration, sperm motility, and sperm morphology, and to determine the longevity of corn snake sperm motility stored at 4 degrees C. Single semen samples were collected from 22 adult corn snakes. The appearance of the corn snake semen was generally cloudy, and the color was white to tan. Corn snake spermatozoa initially exhibited a median motility of 92.5%. Corn snakes were found to produce small-volume ejaculates (median 0.01 ml). However, the overall concentration of the snake ejaculate was high (chi = 852 x 10(6) +/- 585 x 10(6) spermatozoa/ml). Morphologically, a mean of 75.7 +/- 9.3% of the sperm cells in an ejaculate were normal. Snake ejaculate with a white appearance had significantly higher sperm concentrations (chi = 1,859 x 10(6) +/- 1,008 x 106 sperm cells/ml; F = 15.74, P = 0.001) than tan ejaculates (chi = 601 x 10(6) +/- 439 x 106 sperm cells/ml). Sperm motility decreased significantly in samples that were stored at 4 degrees C for greater than 48 hr in a refrigerator or Equitainer I. This is the first study to characterize semen volume, appearance, and concentration; sperm motility; and sperm morphology in captive corn snakes. The information derived from this study can be used to develop a model for a collection, cooled storage, and shipping program for semen from endangered or threatened captive and wild snakes. 相似文献
10.
Landscape-scale processes (e.g. habitat loss) are major drivers of the global biodiversity crisis, but the complexity and size of landscapes makes study design at this scale difficult. However, the impact of statistical problems associated with sub-optimal study design on inferences drawn from landscape-scale studies is poorly understood. Here, we examine how three common statistical ‘pitfalls’ associated with sub-optimal study design – (1) using landscapes that overlap in space; (2) using only a portion of the potential range of the landscape predictor variable(s) of interest; (3) failing to account for correlations among landscape predictor variables – affect the inferred relationships between the abundances of six species of anurans and the amount of forest in the landscape using a large (n = 1141) empirical dataset from Wisconsin and Michigan, USA. We show that sub-optimal study design alone can be sufficient to cause a switch in the sign of the inferred relationship between a species response and landscape structure, and that using only a portion of the potential range of a predictor variable, and correlations between predictor variables, are particularly likely to affect inferences. Our results also provide the first evidence of a non-monotonic relationship between forest amount and gray treefrog abundance, and suggest that inconsistencies in the literature about the inferred relationships between anuran presence/abundance and forest amount in the Great Lakes basin are likely largely due to sampling design issues. Increased attention to study design is therefore necessary for the development of robust generalizations in landscape ecology. 相似文献