Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Habitat Fragmentation

Habitat Fragmentation

Habitat fragmentation describes the division of a more extensive, continuous habitat into smaller, discontinuous areas. Human activities such as land conversion, as well as slower geological processes leading to changes in the physical environment, are the two leading causes of habitat fragmentation. The fragmentation process typically follows the same steps: perforation, dissection, fragmentation, shrinkage, and attrition.

Speciation Rates

Speciation Rates

Speciation can proceed at markedly different rates, and evolutionary biologists commonly describe these differences through the models of gradualism and punctuated equilibrium. Both patterns explain how new species arise, but they differ in the tempo and continuity of evolutionary change. In both cases, evolutionary change arises from heritable variation within populations, with natural selection often shaping traits that improve survival and reproduction under specific environmental conditions.

Distribution and Dispersion

Distribution and Dispersion

Ecology is the study of how organisms interact with their environment and with one another. An important aspect of ecology is understanding where species are found and how individuals are distributed within those areas. The geographic range of a species refers to the total area where its members are located, while dispersion describes the pattern of spacing of individuals within that range.Geographic Range and Dispersion PatternsWithin a species’ geographic range, individuals may be distributed...

Ecological Disturbance

Ecological Disturbance

An ecological disturbance is a temporary disruption in the environment resulting from abiotic, biotic, or anthropogenic factors, causing a pronounced change in an ecosystem. The impact of an ecological disturbance, which can depend on its intensity, frequency, and spatial distribution, plays a significant role in shaping the species diversity within the ecosystem.Ecological disturbances can be caused by an event as small as the trampling of underbrush to an incident as wide-ranging as a forest...

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).Mechanisms of Genetic VariationThe original sources of genetic variation are mutations,...

Optimal Foraging

Optimal Foraging

How animals obtain and eat their food is called foraging behavior. Foraging can include searching for plants and hunting for prey and depends on the species and environment.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

The safety margin of small-scale tree cover loss in global fragmented forests.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Family imprint reveals basin-wide patterns of Amazon forest embolism resistance.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Narrow thresholds of canopy disturbance determine the microclimate buffering potential of tropical forests.

iScience·2026

Same author

Intense solar radiation constrains plant species richness in global grasslands.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026

Same author

Analogous environments across the tropics have similar levels of tree species alpha diversity.

National science review·2026

Same author

Road expansion risk predicts future hotspots of tropical deforestation.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 11, 2026

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning

Published on: March 21, 2025

Habitat fragmentation, variable edge effects, and the landscape-divergence hypothesis.

William F Laurance¹, Henrique E M Nascimento, Susan G Laurance

¹Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama. laurancew@si.edu

|October 11, 2007

Summary

Habitat fragmentation causes variable edge effects in Amazon forests. Unpredictable factors like weather cause significant changes in forest dynamics, plant composition, and carbon storage.

More Related Videos

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Published on: March 13, 2014

Measuring the Structure, Composition, and Change of Underwater Environments with Large-area Imaging

Measuring the Structure, Composition, and Change of Underwater Environments with Large-area Imaging

Published on: April 18, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 11, 2026

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning

Published on: March 21, 2025

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Published on: March 13, 2014

Measuring the Structure, Composition, and Change of Underwater Environments with Large-area Imaging

Measuring the Structure, Composition, and Change of Underwater Environments with Large-area Imaging

Published on: April 18, 2025

Area of Science:

Ecology
Environmental Science
Conservation Biology

Background:

Edge effects are significant drivers of change in fragmented landscapes, but their spatial and temporal variability is not well understood.
Habitat fragmentation studies are crucial for understanding ecosystem dynamics and biodiversity conservation.

Purpose of the Study:

To assess the variability of edge effects on Amazon forest dynamics, plant community composition, invasive species, and carbon storage.
To investigate the predictability of spatial and temporal variations in edge effects within a long-term habitat fragmentation experiment.

Main Methods:

Utilizing the world's largest and longest-running experimental study on habitat fragmentation in the Amazon.
Analyzing spatial variability based on proximity to forest edges and matrix vegetation.
Assessing temporal variability in relation to fragment age, droughts, and windstorms.

Main Results:

Spatial variability in edge effects was only partially predictable, influenced by proximity to edges and matrix vegetation.
Windstorms introduced significant random variability in edge effects.
Temporal variability was also partially predictable, with forest dynamics influenced by fragment age but also by sporadic weather events like droughts and windstorms.

Conclusions:

Habitat fragments are highly sensitive to local landscape and weather dynamics.
Predicts convergence of species composition within the same landscape and divergence between different landscapes (landscape-divergence hypothesis).
The landscape-divergence hypothesis has significant implications for biodiversity conservation strategies and understanding fragmented ecosystems.