Wildlife-friendly landscapes dramatically boost biodiversity in fragmented forests, research reveals

A new study has revealed that improving the landscapes surrounding forest remnants can dramatically increase their ability to retain bird species—even when the forest fragments themselves are small or isolated. For decades, traditional ecological theory has treated isolated habitat remnants as "islands," predicting species' survival largely through area size and isolation. But these models have long overlooked the nature of the "matrix": the farmland, vegetation, or open areas surrounding these habitat remnants. This surrounding landscape is critical, as species must move through, use, or avoid it when navigating between forested areas.