... temperate/boreal forests may provide a useful antidote to yet another study of secondary forests vs. primary forests in Amazonia. Despite the large and growing literature on the impacts of forest fragmentation on forest ecosystem processes, forest diversity, and species abundance and richness within fragments, very few of the studies have been able to identify either long-term trends in species' loss, reductions in species diversity, or absolute loss of more than a very small fraction of taxa or guilds (whether trees, forest flora, or fauna). Most studies which have attempted to document loss of forest species have used 'indicator' species which are (a) easy to survey, and (b) occur in large enough numbers within forests to make temporal or spatial comparisons valid in statistical terms. Many of the studies also focus on species' of particular conservation interest, or those known as 'keystone' or 'umbrella' species. Many fragmentation studies do not have comparable ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now