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Slow response of plant species richness to habitat loss and fragmentation
Article first published online: 9 NOV 2005
DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2005.00841.x
Additional Information
How to Cite
Helm, A., Hanski, I. and Pärtel, M. (2006), Slow response of plant species richness to habitat loss and fragmentation. Ecology Letters, 9: 72–77. doi: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2005.00841.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 9 NOV 2005
- Article first published online: 9 NOV 2005
- Editor, Shahid Naeem Manuscript received 15 July 2005 First decision made 17 August 2005 Manuscript accepted 9 September 2005
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Keywords:
- Connectivity;
- extinction debt;
- fragmentation;
- grassland plants;
- metapopulation dynamics;
- species–area relationship;
- species richness;
- transient time
Abstract
We examined the response of vascular plant species richness to long-term habitat loss and fragmentation of Estonian calcareous grasslands (alvars). The current number of habitat specialist species in 35 alvars was not explained by their current areas and connectivities but it was explained by their areas and connectivities 70 years ago (R2 = 0.27). We estimated the magnitude of extinction debt in local communities by assuming an equilibrium species richness in 14 alvars that had lost only a small amount of area and by applying this model to the remaining alvars, in which the average area has declined from 3.64 km2 in the 1930s to 0.21 km2 at present. The extinction debt estimated for individual alvars was around 40% of their current species number. Our conclusions are applicable to temperate grasslands in general, which have lost much area because of agricultural intensification and cessation of traditional management.