BIOFRAG: A new database for analysing BIOdiversity responses to forest FRAGmentation

PFEIFER M; LEFEBVRE V; BAETEN L; BANKS-LEITE C; BARLOW J; BETTS MG; BRUNET J; CEREZO A; CISNEROS LM; COLLARD S; DCRUZE N; DA SILVA MOTTA C; DUGUAY S; EGGERMONT H; EIGENBROD F; GARDNER TA; HADLEY AS; HANSON TR; HAWES JE; HEARTSILL SCALLEY T; KLINGBEIL BT; KOLB A; KORMANN U; KUMAR S; LACHAT T; LAKEMAN FRASER P; LANTSCHNER MV; LAURANCE WF; LENS L; MARSH CJ; MEDINA-RANGEL GF; MELLES S; MEZGER D; OVERAL WL; OWEN C; PERES CA; PHALAN B; PIDGEON AM; PILIA O; POSSINGHAM HP; POSSINGHAM ML; RAHEEM DC; RIBEIRO DB; ROBINSON WD; ROBINSON R; RYTWINSKI T; SCHERBER C; SLADE EM; SOMARRIBA E; STOUFFER PC; STRUEBIG MJ; TYLIANAKIS JM; TSCHARNTKE T; TYRE AJ; URBINA CARDONA JN; VASCONCELOS HL; WELLS K; WILLIG MR; WOOD E; YOUNG RP; BRADLEY AV

ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION

Wiley

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2014 vol. 4 p. 1524 - 1537

2045-7758

Problem: Habitat fragmentation studies are producing inconsistent and complex results across which it is nearly impossible to synthesise. Consistent analytical techniques can be applied to primary datasets, if stored in a flexible database that allows simple data retrieval for subsequent analyses. Method: We developed a relational database linking data collected in the field to taxonomic nomenclature, spatial and temporal plot attributes and further environmental variables (e.g. information on biogeographic region. Typical field assessments include measures of biological variables (e.g. presence, abundance, ground cover) of one species or a set of species linked to a set of plots in fragments of a forested landscape. Conclusion: The database currently holds records of 5792 unique species sampled in 52 landscapes in six of eight biogeographic regions: mammals 173, birds 1101, herpetofauna 284, insects 2317, other arthropods: 48, plants 1804, snails 65. Most species are found in one or two landscapes, but some are found in four. Using the huge amount of primary data on biodiversity response to fragmentation becomes increasingly important as anthropogenic pressures from high population growth and land demands are increasing. This database can be queried to extract data for subsequent analyses of the biological response to forest fragmentation with new metrics that can integrate across the components of fragmented landscapes. Meta-analyses of findings based on consistent methods and metrics will be able to generalise over studies allowing inter-comparisons for unified answers. The database can thus help researchers in providing findings for analyses of trade-offs between land use benefits and impacts on biodiversity and to track performance of management for biodiversity conservation in human-modified landscapes.