Correlation between mammal track abundance and Forest Landscape Integrity Index validates actual forest ecological integrity.

ABSTRACT: Human disturbance compromises the ecological integrity of forests, negatively affecting associated species. Assessing the impact of forest integrity on biodiversity is complex due to the interplay of various human activities, ecological factors, and their interactions. Current large-scale indices assess forest integrity but often lack a direct connection to the biotic environment. We tested the effectiveness of the global Forest Landscape Integrity Index (FLII) in evaluating aspects of anthropogenic forest degradation on the biotic community. We analyzed the relationship between changes in the ecological integrity of Finnish forests and variations in mammal species abundance, using the number of tracks from 17 different species collected during the winter seasons between 2016 and 2020 in s

SUBMITTER: Malcangi F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11489168 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature