introduction the urban population experienced rapid growth in the recent decades, particularly between 1975 and 2000 when it has reached from 1.5 to more than 2 billion people. by turn of the century; half of the world's populations are concentrated in cities. this would severely affect the quality of life in urban areas. accordingly, cities will be faced with significant challenges in inf...

In a large-scale experiment, we found that three habitat-restricted butterfly species reached higher densities in patches connected by corridors than in similar, isolated patches. We conducted our study in 27 equal-sized (1.64-ha) patches that varied in whether or not they were connected to another patch by a corridor. Patches and corridors were open, early-successional habitat that contrasted ...

Conservation efforts typically focus on maximizing biodiversity in protected areas. The space available for reserves is limited, however, and conservation efforts must increasingly consider how management of protected areas can promote biodiversity beyond reserve borders. Habitat corridors are considered an important feature of reserves because they facilitate movement of organisms between patc...

Paying attention to the spatial placement of the elements (man-made or natural) based on the landscape pattern and ecological processes in urban design would have a considerable impact on both human and the nature. In a way that the discords in the placement of patchs in respect to each other, or in respect to visual corridors and urban matrixes lead to the unwanted results in the cities. The e...

Habitat fragmentation is one of the largest threats to biodiversity. Landscape corridors, which are hypothesized to reduce the negative consequences of fragmentation, have become common features of ecological management plans worldwide. Despite their popularity, there is little evidence documenting the effectiveness of corridors in preserving biodiversity at large scales. Using a large-scale re...

Corridors are frequently proposed to connect patches of habitat that have become isolated due to human-mediated alterations to the landscape. While it is understood that corridors can facilitate dispersal between patches, it remains unknown whether corridors can mitigate the negative genetic effects for entire communities modified by habitat fragmentation. These negative genetic effects, which ...

Corridors that connect patches of disjunct habitat may be promising tools for mediating the negative impacts of habitat fragmentation, but little is known about how corridors affect ecological interactions. In eight 12-ha experimental landscapes, we examined how corridors affect the impact of invertebrate, rodent, and avian seed predators on pokeweed, Phytolacca americana. Over 13 months in 200...

Through empirical studies and simulation, I demonstrate how simple behaviors can be used in lieu of detailed dispersal studies to predict the effects of corridors on interpatch movements. Movement paths of three butterfly species were measured in large (1.64 ha) experimental patches of open habitat, some of which were connected by corridors. Butterflies that "reflected" off boundaries between o...

Among the most popular strategies for maintaining populations of both plants and animals in fragmented landscapes is to connect isolated patches with thin strips of habitat, called corridors. Corridors are thought to increase the exchange of individuals between habitat patches, promoting genetic exchange and reducing population fluctuations. Empirical studies addressing the effects of corridors...

Using corridors for conservation is increasing despite a lack of consensus on their efficacy. Specifically, whether corridors increase movement of plants and animals between habitat fragments has been addressed on a case-by-case basis with mixed results. Because of the growing number of well-designed experiments that have addressed this question, we conducted a meta-analysis to determine whethe...