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CORRIDOR USE BY DIVERSE TAXA
Author(s) -
Haddad Nick M.,
Bowne David R.,
Cunningham Alan,
Danielson Brent J.,
Levey Douglas J.,
Sargent Sarah,
Spira Tim
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.1890/0012-9658(2003)084[0609:cubdt]2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - ecology , habitat , taxon , biodiversity , geography , biology
One of the most popular approaches for maintaining populations and conserving biodiversity in fragmented landscapes is to retain or create corridors that connect otherwise isolated habitat patches. Working in large‐scale, experimental landscapes in which open‐habitat patches and corridors were created by harvesting pine forest, we showed that corridors direct movements of different types of species, including butterflies, small mammals, and bird‐dispersed plants, causing higher movement between connected than between unconnected patches. Corridors directed the movement of all 10 species studied, with all corridor effect sizes >68%. However, this corridor effect was significant for five species, not significant for one species, and inconclusive for four species because of small sample sizes. Although we found no evidence that corridors increase emigration from a patch, our results show that movements of disparate taxa with broadly different life histories and functional roles are directed by corridors. Corresponding Editor: F. W. Davis