Habitat fragmentation and biodiversity in Spanish plateaus: a longterm perspective

Abstract

Tellería, J.L., Díaz, J.A., Pérez-Tris, J., Santos, T. (2011). Habitat fragmentation and biodiversity in Spanish plateaus: a longterm perspective. Ecosistemas 20(2-3):79-90

The benefits of conducting long-term studies of the effects of habitat fragmentation in a single locality are twofold: such studies improve our knowledge of processes that are not always evident in snapshot approaches, plus they allow researchers to rapidly update their ideas and methods in a well-known natural laboratory. In this paper, we describe the progression of our research in a landscape of fragmented forests located in northern Spain, where we have worked during the last two decades. We take advantage of a historical perspective to comment on the scientific paradigms that framed habitat fragmentation research at different times, and the way we fitted our own research interests to such paradigms. Along this path, we have hopped between the description of patterns (from species’ distributions to variation in individual body condition or breeding success) and the analysis of processes (effects of abundance, habitat structure, dispersal, predation, sociality and other aspects of behaviour), for which we have used different model species (trees, birds, reptiles and mammals) and methods, including observation, habitat manipulation, reintroductions or molecular markers.