Thomas Lovejoy and colleagues conducted a long-term field experiment on the effects of habitat fragmentation in the Amazon rainforest, studying changes in bird populations over 30 years.Do the results of these experiments suggest that high species diversity can continue in the presence of deforestation?
A) Yes; even though many bird species were lost, other species were likely unaffected.
B) Yes; when distances between fragments were small enough, species moved between fragments.
C) No; edge effects increase hazards so much that species will decline, even though they do not decline due to small areas.
D) No; even the largest fragments lost more than half of their bird species, and edge effects reduced both immigration and fragment size.
E) Uncertain; some results indicated no effect on species diversity, whereas other results indicated a strong negative effect.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The results of the experiment conducted by Thomas Lovejoy and colleagues suggest that high species diversity cannot continue in the presence of deforestation. Even the largest fragments lost more than half of their bird species, and edge effects reduced both immigration and fragment size. Therefore, option D is the correct choice.

Thomas Lovejoy and Colleagues Conducted a Long-Term Field Experiment on the Effects