Graphical abstract

                                                      

Summary

A methodology was developed to globally derive fragmentation indexes based on the metapopulation theory, at meaningful spatial scales for fragmentation mechanisms. The metapopulation capacity λ was calculated at the Grid Square (GS) scale (e.g. 100 km2) for all forest biodiversity hotspots (around 300 terrestrial ecoregions), and Forest Fragmentation Potential (FFP) indexes ranging from 0 (low fragmentation stress) to 1 (high fragmentation stress) were calculated based on λ statistics. These indexes were defined at various levels of spatial aggregation: damaged forest (i.e. forest cover <30%), forest, and the whole ecoregion. These indexes allow ranking the fragmented ecoregions according to their ability to host viable species populations (depending on the species dispersal distance (DD), e.g. 1 km).

 

Scientific background

  • Assessing habitat fragmentation effects through large-scale indexes: global application to forest biodiversity hotspots – Publication under review process

 

Download maps