A mesoscale approach to extinction risk in fragmented habitats
Article Abstract:
Spatially explicit and individual-based models to assess the fate of species endangered by habitat fragmentation can be cumbersome. Levins-like macroscale models often neglect data on the distribution of local numbers. An alternative mesoscale approach is presented, for metapopulations subject to demographic stochasticity, habitat loss and environmental catastrophes. A simple bifurcation analysis can assess extinction risk, and the sensitivity of metapopulation persistence to patch size, catastrophe frequency and habitat loss is determined.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1999
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Mesopredator release and avifaunal extinctions in a fragmented system
Article Abstract:
Mammalian carnivores are vulnerable to extinction in fragmented landscapes. A study using spatial and temporal variation in the distribution and abundance of the coyote is described, in a landscape fragmented by development. It was found that the distribution and abundance of smaller carnivores and the persistence of their avian prey is affected by the decline and disappearance of the coyote together with the effects of habitat fragmentation.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1999
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Top dogs maintain diversity
Article Abstract:
Many species are becoming extinct and conservation biology must assess the effects of species losses on ecosystems. Crooks and Soule have shown that the loss of a top predator, the coyote, results in higher extinction rates of scrub-breeding birds. Mesopredator abundance was found to fall significantly as the abundance of coyotes increased.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1999
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