Are there indicator species for habitat fragmentation?
Heather A. HAGER, Department of Zoology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada, e-mail: hhager@uoguelph.ca Abstract: Indicator species should exhibit sensitivity to certain environmental conditions, for example, habitat fragmentation. Amphibian and reptile species were examined on three island archipelagos (Lake Erie, Georgian Bay and the St. Lawrence River) for sensitivity to insularization and hence, whether any might indicate effects of habitat fragmentation. Species that are most sensitive to habitat fragmentation are expected to be those that disappear first from assemblages as insularization increases (i.e., area decreases). The ranked order in which reptiles and amphibians disappeared from assemblages as island area decreased was positively correlated between two of the three archipelagos (p p Nerodia s. sipedon [L.]), bullfrog (Rana catesbeinana Shaw), and American toad (Bufo americanus Holbrook) tended to be present on islands of all sizes; red-spotted newt (N
Related Questions
- Is my property located in a Critical Area (wetlands, shorelines, endangered species habitat, flood hazard area, noise zone, and others)?
- Why would habitat fragmentation sometimes be more detrimental to species survival than simple loss in habitat area?
- Are there indicator species for habitat fragmentation?
