The Effects of Matrix Properties on Ecological Processes Within Habitat Fragments Or Tilting at Windmills in Search of General Trends

This comprehensive review paper examined 20 habitat/fragmentation experiments in terms of common hypothesis regarding the species area relationship, corridors, and density/abundance. Taken as a whole, the experiments had highly inconsistent results; only insects, which have short generation times, generally responded to fragmentation as predicted. The three long-term experiments did support prevailing theory more than the short-term experiments, which could indicate a "lag effect." However, such inconsistent results could also indicate the importance of the matrix in dampening fragmentation effects. I would call this required reading for anyone trying to understand how different taxa respond to fragmentation.