LandFrag: A Dataset to Investigate the Effects of Forest Loss and Fragmentation on Biodiversity
Publisher DOI
Abstract
Motivation
The accelerated and widespread conversion of once continuous ecosystems into fragmented landscapes has driven ecological research to understand the response of biodiversity to local (fragment size) and landscape (forest cover and fragmentation) changes. This information has important theoretical and applied implications, but is still far from complete. We compiled the most comprehensive and updated database to investigate how these local and landscape changes determine species composition, abundance and trait diversity of multiple taxonomic groups in forest fragments across the globe.
Main Types of Variables Contained
We gathered data for 1472 forest fragments, providing information on the abundance and composition of 9154 species belonging to vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants. For 2703 of these species, we obtained more than 20 functional traits. We provided the spatial location and size of each fragment and metrics of landscape composition and configuration.
Spatial Location and Grain
The dataset includes 1472 forest fragments sampled in 121 studies from all continents except Antarctica. Most datasets (77%) are from tropical regions, 17% are from temperate regions, and 6% are from subtropical regions. Species abundance and composition were collected at the plot or fragment scale, whereas the landscape metrics were extracted with buffer size ranging from a radius of 200–2000 m.
Time Period and Grain
Data on the abundance of species and community composition were collected between 1994 and 2022, and the landscape metrics were extracted from the same year that a given study collected the abundance and composition data.
Major Taxa and Level of Measurement
The studied organisms included invertebrates (Arachnida, Insecta and Gastropoda; 41% of the datasets), vertebrates (Amphibia, Squamata, Aves and Mammalia; 44%), and vascular plants (19%), and the lowest level of identification was species or morphospecies.
Software Format
The dataset and code can be downloaded on Zenodo or GitHub.
The accelerated and widespread conversion of once continuous ecosystems into fragmented landscapes has driven ecological research to understand the response of biodiversity to local (fragment size) and landscape (forest cover and fragmentation) changes. This information has important theoretical and applied implications, but is still far from complete. We compiled the most comprehensive and updated database to investigate how these local and landscape changes determine species composition, abundance and trait diversity of multiple taxonomic groups in forest fragments across the globe.
Main Types of Variables Contained
We gathered data for 1472 forest fragments, providing information on the abundance and composition of 9154 species belonging to vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants. For 2703 of these species, we obtained more than 20 functional traits. We provided the spatial location and size of each fragment and metrics of landscape composition and configuration.
Spatial Location and Grain
The dataset includes 1472 forest fragments sampled in 121 studies from all continents except Antarctica. Most datasets (77%) are from tropical regions, 17% are from temperate regions, and 6% are from subtropical regions. Species abundance and composition were collected at the plot or fragment scale, whereas the landscape metrics were extracted with buffer size ranging from a radius of 200–2000 m.
Time Period and Grain
Data on the abundance of species and community composition were collected between 1994 and 2022, and the landscape metrics were extracted from the same year that a given study collected the abundance and composition data.
Major Taxa and Level of Measurement
The studied organisms included invertebrates (Arachnida, Insecta and Gastropoda; 41% of the datasets), vertebrates (Amphibia, Squamata, Aves and Mammalia; 44%), and vascular plants (19%), and the lowest level of identification was species or morphospecies.
Software Format
The dataset and code can be downloaded on Zenodo or GitHub.
Date Issued
2025-02
Publication Type
Article
Subjects
biodiversity conservation
•
biodiversity loss
•
functional traits
•
habitat fragmentation
•
habitat loss
•
landscape metrics
Language(s)
en
Author(s)
Gonçalves‐Souza, Thiago | |
Vancine, Maurício Humberto | |
Sanders, Nathan J. | |
Haddad, Nick M. | |
Cortinhas, Lucas | |
Aase, Anne Lene T. O. | |
de Aguiar, Willian Moura | |
Aizen, Marcelo Adrian | |
Arroyo‐Rodríguez, Víctor | |
Baz, Arturo | |
Benchimol, Maíra | |
Bernard, Enrico | |
Bertotto, Tássia Juliana | |
Bispo, Arthur Angelo | |
Bogoni, Juliano A. | |
Boldorini, Gabriel X. | |
Bragagnolo, Cibele | |
Brosi, Berry | |
Cantalice, Aníbal Silva | |
do Carmo, Rodrigo Felipe Rodrigues | |
Cazeta, Eliana | |
Chiarello, Adriano G. | |
de la Sancha, Noé U. | |
Didham, Raphael K. | |
Faria, Deborah | |
Filgueiras, Bruno | |
Figueira, José Eugênio Côrtes | |
Galvão, Gabriela Albuquerque | |
Garey, Michel Varajão | |
Gibb, Heloise | |
Gómez‐Martínez, Carmelo | |
González, Ezequiel | |
de Gusmão, Reginaldo Augusto Farias | |
Henry, Mickaël | |
de Jesus, Shayana | |
Kloss, Thiago Gechel | |
Lázaro, Amparo | |
Leandro‐Silva, Victor | |
de Lima, Marcelo G. | |
da Silva Lima, Ingrid | |
Lins‐e‐Silva, Ana Carolina B. | |
Nally, Ralph Mac | |
Magalhães, Arthur Ramalho | |
Magnago, Luiz Fernando Silva | |
Manu, Shiiwua | |
Mariano‐Neto, Eduardo | |
Mbora, David Nyaga Mugo | |
Melo, Felipe P. L. | |
Mutua, Morris Nzioka | |
Neckel‐Oliveira, Selvino | |
Nemésio, André | |
Nogueira, André Amaral | |
Oliveira, Patricia Marques Do A. | |
Pádua, Diego G. | |
Paes, Luan | |
de Paiva, Aparecida Barbosa | |
Passamani, Marcelo | |
Pena, João Carlos | |
Peres, Carlos A. | |
Pons, Jean‐Marc | |
Prasniewski, Victor Mateus | |
Reiniö, Jenny | |
dos Santos Rocha, Magda | |
Rocha‐Santos, Larissa | |
Rodal, Maria J. | |
Rodrigues, Rodolpho Credo | |
Safar, Nathalia V. H. | |
Salomão, Renato P. | |
Santos, Bráulio A. | |
Santos, Mirela N. | |
dos Santos, Jessie Pereira | |
Savilaakso, Sini | |
Schaefer, Carlos Ernesto Gonçalves Reynaud | |
Silva, Maria Amanda Menezes | |
da Silva, Fernando R. | |
Silva, Ricardo J. | |
Simonelli, Marcelo | |
Soto‐Werschitz, Alejandra | |
Stireman, John O. | |
Storck‐Tonon, Danielle | |
Szinwelski, Neucir | |
Tabarelli, Marcelo | |
Teixeira, Camila Palhares | |
Totland, Ørjan | |
Uehara‐Prado, Marcio | |
Vaz‐de‐Mello, Fernando Zagury | |
Vasconcelos, Heraldo L. | |
Vieira, Simone A. | |
Chase, Jonathan M. |
Additional Credits
Journal
Global Ecology and Biogeography
Publisher
Wiley
ISSN
1466-822X
1466-8238
Access(Rights)
open.access