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Research article2006Peer reviewed

Evaluating effects of habitat loss and land-use continuity on ant species richness in seminatural grassland remnants

Dauber J, Bengtsson J, Lenoir L

Abstract

Seminatural grasslands in Europe are susceptible to habitat destruction and fragmentation that result in negative effects on biodiversity because of increased isolation and area effects on extinction rate. However, even small habitat patches of seminatural grasslands might be of value for conservation and restoration of species richness in a landscape with a long history of management, which has been argued to lead to high species richness. We tested whether ant communities have been negatively affected by habitat loss and increased isolation of seminatural grasslands during the twentieth century. We examined species richness and community composition in seminatural grasslands of different size in a mosaic landscape in Central Sweden. Grasslands managed continuously over centuries harbored species-rich and ecologically diverse ant communities. Grassland remnant size had no effect on ant species richness. Small grassland remnants did not harbor a nested subset of the ant species of larger habitats. Community composition of ants was mainly affected by habitat conditions. Our results suggest that the abandonment of traditional land use and the encroachment of trees, rather than the effects of fragmentation, are important for species composition in seminatural grasslands. Our results highlight the importance of considering land-use continuity and dispersal ability of the focal organisms when examining the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on biodiversity. Landscape history should be considered in conservation programs focusing on effects of land-use change

Published in

Conservation Biology
2006, Volume: 20, number: 4, pages: 1150-1160
Publisher: BLACKWELL PUBLISHING

      SLU Authors

    • Bengtsson, Jan

      • Department of Entomology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

      • Lenoir, Lisette

        • Department of Ecology and Environmental Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

      UKÄ Subject classification

      Forest Science
      Agricultural Science
      Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use

      Publication identifier

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2006.00373.x

      Permanent link to this page (URI)

      https://res.slu.se/id/publ/8944