Beyond the patch: leveraging functional habitat delineation in fragmentation-biodiversity research.

ABSTRACT:

Context

Theoretical and methodological developments in the field of fragmentation-biodiversity research continue to rely on the central concept of the habitat patch where patch size and number are considered particularly relevant to spatially structured ecological communities. However, although great interest has been shown in the effects of habitat fragmentation, appropriate methods for the spatial delineation of habitat have not received equal attention. In this paper, we argue that existing methods are not consistent with a functional definition of habitat as they fail to address key methodological challenges. These relate to the need to acknowledge a) the contribution of multiple resource types to habitat, b) the influence of neighbouring land cover types and c) the continui

SUBMITTER: Dennis M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12852187 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature