How corridors reduce indigo bunting nest success.
Corridors are a popular strategy to conserve biodiversity and promote gene flow in fragmented landscapes. Corridor effectiveness has been bolstered by the fact that no empirical field studies have shown negative effects on populations or communities. I tested the hypothesis that corridors increase nest predation in connected habitat fragments relative to unconnected fragments. I evaluated this hypothesis in a large-scale experimental system of open-habitatfragments that varied in shape and connectivity. Corridors increased nest predation rates in connected fragments relative to unconnected fragments with lower edge:area ratios. Nest predation rates were similar between connected and unconnected fragments with higher edge:area ratios. These results suggest that the increase in predator activity is largely attributable to edge effects incurred through the addition of a corridor This is the first field study to demonstrate that corridors can negatively impact animal populations occupying connected fragments.
Weldon
Aimee J
AJ
Department of Zoology, Box 7617, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7617, USA. aweldon@audubon.org
D000818:Animals; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D005843:Geography; D009425:Nesting Behavior; D046109:Passeriformes / Q000502:physiology*; D011156:Population Density; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D012098:Reproduction; D013022:South Carolina