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Life‐history traits predict species responses to habitat area and isolation: a cross‐continental synthesis

Life‐history traits predict species responses to habitat area and isolation: a cross‐continental... Ecology Letters (2010) 13: 969–979 There is a lack of quantitative syntheses of fragmentation effects across species and biogeographic regions, especially with respect to species life‐history traits. We used data from 24 independent studies of butterflies and moths from a wide range of habitats and landscapes in Europe and North America to test whether traits associated with dispersal capacity, niche breadth and reproductive rate modify the effect of habitat fragmentation on species richness. Overall, species richness increased with habitat patch area and connectivity. Life‐history traits improved the explanatory power of the statistical models considerably and modified the butterfly species–area relationship. Species with low mobility, a narrow feeding niche and low reproduction were most strongly affected by habitat loss. This demonstrates the importance of considering life‐history traits in fragmentation studies and implies that both species richness and composition change in a predictable manner with habitat loss and fragmentation. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Ecology Letters Wiley

Life‐history traits predict species responses to habitat area and isolation: a cross‐continental synthesis

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References (47)

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
© 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/CNRS
ISSN
1461-023X
eISSN
1461-0248
DOI
10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01487.x
pmid
20482577
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Ecology Letters (2010) 13: 969–979 There is a lack of quantitative syntheses of fragmentation effects across species and biogeographic regions, especially with respect to species life‐history traits. We used data from 24 independent studies of butterflies and moths from a wide range of habitats and landscapes in Europe and North America to test whether traits associated with dispersal capacity, niche breadth and reproductive rate modify the effect of habitat fragmentation on species richness. Overall, species richness increased with habitat patch area and connectivity. Life‐history traits improved the explanatory power of the statistical models considerably and modified the butterfly species–area relationship. Species with low mobility, a narrow feeding niche and low reproduction were most strongly affected by habitat loss. This demonstrates the importance of considering life‐history traits in fragmentation studies and implies that both species richness and composition change in a predictable manner with habitat loss and fragmentation.

Journal

Ecology LettersWiley

Published: Aug 1, 2010

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