Habitat loss and fragmentation: effect on species conservation

Abstract

Habitat loss and fragmentation: effect on species conservation. Habitat loss and fragmentation has been considered as one of the more pervasive effects on biodiversity conservation. Species loss caused by habitat fragmentation is related to an array of concomitant processes (decrease of habitat cover, increasing isolation of habitat fragments, edge effects, etc.) that have been predominantly studied on forests  vertebrates.  This  paper  reviews  some  general  ideas  on  these  topics,  and  claims  for  an  enlargement  of  the  conceptual  and taxonomical scopes of studies on this environment alteration.