Fragmentation in South and Central American Rainforests; Draft #1 (outline)

This discussion topic submitted by Dan Radzicki ( radzicdp@muohio.edu) at 12:21 am on 3/8/01. Additions were last made on Saturday, May 4, 2002.

I plan on discussing the problem of habitat fragmentation that is effecting the majority of the worlds rainforests. I will focus on three of the main "groups" that are being affected, as well as how and why this occurs. This is an important topic because of the frequency of occurence, and the long lasting effects, that are also difficult to reverse.

-description/definition of fragmentation
-characteristics
-causes (how it occurs)

-effect on rainforest dwelling organisms
-animals
-changes in behavior
-decrease in reproductive fitness
-possibility of extinction

-plants
-how there damage in turn effects the surrounding environ.
-possibility of extinction

-effect on the environment
-specifically the effect of fragmentation in respect to an increase in
emission levels of greenhouse gases

(these three broad points will be simplified using specific examples)


References:

1. Laurance, William. Tropical rainforest fragmentation and greenhouse gas
emissions. Forest Ecology and Management. 10/5/98 vol.110, p173-180.
2. Kelt, Douglas A. "Small mammal communities in rainforest fragments in
Chile". Biological Conservation. 3/2000. v93 #3: 345-358.
3. Newell, Graeme R. "Responses of tree-kangaroo to loss of habitat within
a tropical rainforest fragments". Biological Conservation. 12/1999
v91 #2-3: 181-189.
4. Yang Da Rong. "The effects of fragmenting on tropical rainforest
species ...". Zoological Research. 1999 v20 #2: 126-130.
5. Gascon, Claude Lovejoy. "Ecological impacts of forst fragmentation in
central Amazonia". Zoology (Jena). 1998 v101 #4: 273-280.
6. Boswell, Graeme P. "Habitat fragmentation, percolation theory and the
conservation of a keystone species". Proceedings of the Society of
London Series B. 10/22/98 v26 #1409: 1921-1925.
7. Laurance, William F. "Rainforest fragmentation and the structure of
Amazonia liana communities". Ecology. 1/2001 v82(1): 105-116.


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It is 8:53:38 PM on Sunday, July 20, 2008. Last Update: Saturday, May 4, 2002