Abstract

<jats:p>
Research during the past decade in the wet tropics region of Queensland has
yielded important insights into the responses of rainforest mammals to habitat
fragmentation. These findings are synthesised by assessing key processes in
fragmented landscapes, such as nonrandom deforestation patterns, edge effects,
dramatic shifts in predator assemblages, and the kinetics of local extinction.
Studies aimed at identifying ecological traits that affect the vulnerability
of mammal populations in fragmented forests are also reviewed. Collectively,
these investigations suggest that the composition and dynamics of fragment
biotas are strongly influenced by edge effects and by the matrix of modified
habitats surrounding fragments. Some implications of these findings for the
management of fragmented landscapes are considered.</jats:p>