Remnant Habitat Research Articles

Conserving Karner Blue Butterflies in Wisconsin: A Development of Management Techniques

Crossing the Upper Midwest from northwest to southeast is an area known as the “tension” zone, a band of remnant open forests and grasslands associated with the sand deposits left behind during the last glacial retreat. The tree and other plant species found there are known as barrens and savanna grassland communities. Once one of the most abundant ecosystems in the Great Lakes Region, they have now decreased to scattered remnants of habitat in the years since European settlement (Curtis 1959; Grundel et al. 1998; Anderson et al. 1999; Swengel and Swengel 2005). Their demise has been so extensive that they are now considered globally imperiled. Today, as before, they are of critical importance to the survival of hundreds of species of both fauna and flora. Numerous management strategies have been developed and subsequently modified to restore and manage these communities in attempts to mimic the natural shifting mosaic of habitat that sustains these biological communities (Schweitzer 1990; Givnish et al 1988; Swengel 1998; Swengel 2001; Swengel and Swengel 2007). Over the last two decades, barrens management strategies have included prescribed fire, mechanical disturbance, chemical applications, and even grazing by …

Current Status of Western Yellow-Billed Cuckoo along the Sacramento and Feather Rivers, California.

To evaluate the current status of the western population of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) along the Sacramento and Feather rivers in California’s Sacramento Valley, we conducted extensive call playback surveys in 2012 and 2013. We also quantified the amount and distribution of potential habitat. Our survey transects were randomly located and spatially balanced to sample representative areas of the potential habitat. We estimated that the total area of potential habitat was 8,134 ha along the Sacramento River and 2,052 ha along the Feather River, for a total of 10,186 ha. Large-scale restoration efforts have created potential habitat along both of these rivers. Despite this increase in the amount of habitat, the number of cuckoos we detected was extremely low. There were 8 detection occasions in 2012 and 10 occasions in 2013 on the Sacramento River, in both restored and remnant habitat. We had no detections on the Feather River in either year. We compared our results to 10 historic studies from as far back as 1972 and found that the Yellow-billed Cuckoo had unprecedentedly low numbers in 2010, 2012, and 2013. The current limiting factor for the Yellow-billed Cuckoo in the Sacramento Valley is likely not the amount of appropriate vegetation, as restoration has created more habitat over the last 30 years. Reasons for the cuckoo decline on the Sacramento and Feather rivers are unclear.

Extinction debt of a common shrub in a fragmented landscape

Fil: Gonzalez Varo, Juan P.. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Estacion Biologica de Donana; Espana

When anthropogenic‐related disturbances overwhelm demographic persistence mechanisms

Summary Population decline is associated with increased vulnerability to extinction, but also with possible density‐, frequency‐ or distance‐related ‘rarity advantages’ that increase recruitment success as individuals become isolated from their congeners. Distinguishing between these alternatives (risk vs. recovery of rare populations via demographic processes) has become critical, given how anthropogenic disturbances are causing population declines globally. Here, we demonstrate how distance‐related rarity advantages are evident in spatially isolated recruits of a canopy‐dominant but regionally rare species of oak that appears to be suffering recruitment collapse. As distance from parent trees increased, seedlings had significantly more leaves and experienced reduced insect browsing and intraspecific competition. Long‐term field‐based experimental treatments revealed these advantages to be associated with rapid rates of juvenile maturation and survival that are unobserved in natural settings. The discrepancy between the experimental and natural settings was explained by trophic collapse and habitat loss – two changes ubiquitous to many terrestrial ecosystems – that combine to concentrate vertebrate herbivores in habitat remnants and cause 100% juvenile mortality via the browsing of taller juveniles. Exotic grass cover, long associated with oak recruitment failure, significantly suppressed seedling height and leaf production, but appeared to delay mortality by hiding shorter seedlings from vertebrate herbivores. Synthesis. Our work demonstrates how rarity advantages have the potential to positively influence the population performance of a declining species, but are short‐circuited by intense herbivory associated with human‐based environmental change. Regionally, there appear to be few existing conditions on the contemporary landscape that favour juvenile survival, suggesting ongoing recruitment difficulties without intervention. Our work clarifies how extinction risk can in some cases be best defined by how anthropogenic disturbances affect, and are offset by, demographic‐based persistence mechanisms, than simply by present‐day abundance or distribution.

Contrasting effects of pine plantations on two skinks: results from a large‐scale ‘natural experiment’ in Australia

AbstractThe conversion of agricultural land to forest plantations is a major driver of global land‐use change, and considering that large portions of the planet are covered by forest plantations, understanding their impact on biodiversity is a research priority. The aim of our study was to quantify the long‐term response of two lizard species to the transformation of the matrix surrounding remnant habitat patches (from agricultural land to pine plantations). We used a large‐scale (115 sites), long‐term (16 years) fully replicated and controlled landscape scale ‘natural experiment’ (the ‘Nanangroe experiment’, Australia) to compare the response of lizard populations to plantation establishment. The study entailed detailed surveys of reptiles in 50 eucalypt patches surrounded by maturing pine Pinus radiata plantations (treatments) and populations inhabiting 55 eucalypt patches surrounded by grazing land (controls). We found that the eastern three‐toed earless skink Hemiergis talbingoensis was advantaged by the establishment of the pine plantations (increasing colonization of eucalypt patches embedded within plantations). In contrast, we found that the southern rainbow skink Carlia tetradactyla was negatively affected by surrounding areas of maturing plantations. Thus, our results show that plantations acted as a barrier for one species and increased connectivity for the other. We suggest that leaving areas of land devoid of pines between remnant eucalypt patches may enhance the connectivity for species that respond negatively to plantation establishment while maintaining the beneficial increase in connectivity for others.

Determinants of tree frog calling ponds in a human-transformed landscape

Facing increasing human demands on Earth, understanding how endangered species may survive in isolated remnants of natural habitat within heavily transformed landscapes is key to contemporary conservation biology. Against this background we here investigate the factors affecting pond occupancy in the endangered European tree frog (Hyla arborea L.) within an urban landscape, being located in north-eastern Germany where the species is still fairly common. Our survey revealed that 58 out of 122 ponds were occupied by H. arborea. Ponds with a higher percentage of floating vegetation, being deeper and surrounded by higher percentages of crop fields and forests were more likely to be occupied, while factors associated with urbanization such as the percentage of built-up area were strongly detrimental. Habitat requirements of H. arborea were complex as occurrence was simultaneously affected by different spatial scales, including the landscape scale, the immediate surroundings of ponds and the ponds themselves. H. arborea avoided highly urbanized areas, but occurred frequently in agricultural areas surrounding the city. The latter suggests that this species is fairly tolerant towards human-induced transformations, and that vast arable fields yielded positive rather than negative effects on H. arborea occurrence. We conclude that the most important conservation issues for supporting H. arborea populations at the periphery of urbanized areas are (1) maintaining an open (agricultural) landscape structure, (2) providing undisturbed overwintering habitats, and (3) maintaining pond quality by halting shrub and tree encroachment.

Determinants of bird assemblage composition in riparian vegetation on sugarcane farms in the Queensland Wet Tropics

Remnant habitat patches in agricultural landscapes can contribute substantially to wildlife conservation. Understanding the main habitat variables that influence wildlife is important if these remnants are to be appropriately managed. We investigated relationships between the bird assemblages and characteristics of remnant riparian forest at 27 sites among sugarcane fields in the Queensland Wet Tropics bioregion. Sites within the remnant riparian zone had distinctly different bird assemblages from those of the forest, but provided habitat for many forest and generalist species. Width of the riparian vegetation and distance from source forest were the most important factors in explaining the bird assemblages in these remnant ribbons of vegetation. Gradual changes in assemblage composition occurred with increasing distance from source forest, with species of rainforest and dense vegetation being replaced by species of more open habitats, although increasing distance was confounded by decreasing riparian width. Species richness increased with width of the riparian zone, with high richness at the wide sites due to a mixture of open-habitat species typical of narrower sites and rainforest species typical of sites within intact forest, as a result of the greater similarity in vegetation characteristics between wide sites and the forest proper. The results demonstrate the habitat value for birds of remnant riparian vegetation in an agricultural landscape, supporting edge and open vegetation species with even narrow widths, but requiring substantial width (>90 m) to support specialists of the closed forest, the dominant original vegetation of the area.

Tropical botanical gardens play an under-emphasized role in animal conservation

Botanical gardens hold a large potential for biodiversity conservation (Ashton, 1988), a topic which has been on international agendas (Maunder, 1994; Wyse Jackson and Sutherland, 2000) for decades. Tropical botanical gardens (TBGs) in particular hold unutilized conservation potential, as they are usually located in hotspots of biodiversity that undergo rapid degradation (Chen et al., 2009). However, by nature, the emphasis of botanical gardens—and researchers who use botanical gardens as their study sites—lies on ex situ and in situ conservation of plants (Hurka, 1994; Chen et al., 2009; Donaldson, 2009; Cibrian-Jaramillo et al., 2013). In addition, the role of botanical gardens in environmental education and raising conservation awareness has received substantial interest (e.g., Suh and Samways, 2001; He and Chen, 2012). Yet, despite the notion that botanical gardens play a role in the conservation of habitat remnants (Pinheiro et al., 2006), the role of botanical gardens for conservation of fauna goes largely unaddressed. Here, I highlight the potential that TBGs hold for animal conservation by providing a case study and pointing out questions we might address on this topic. Ideally,

Differential effects of spatial network structure and scale on population size and genetic diversity of the ninespine stickleback in a remnant wetland system

Summary The management of population size and genetic diversity in fragmented landscapes is the central issue in conservation biology. Functional connectivity between remnant habitat patches affects these parameters. However, the functional connectivity for genetic diversity would be characterised by a greater spatial scale than population size even within the same habitat network. The reason for this difference is that while dispersal frequency generally decreases with increasing distance, only a few immigrants may effectively contribute to gene flow, whereas a certain number of dispersers may be required to influence population abundance. Here, we investigated the effects of habitat network structures on population abundance and genetic diversity of the ninespine stickleback, Pungitius pungitius, in remnant wetland ponds in northern Japan. We tested (i) whether both population abundance and genetic diversity are positively related not only to habitat size but also to connectivity and (ii) whether the dispersal effect extends to greater spatial scales in genetic diversity than in population size. We employed a graph theoretical index to measure the degree of pond connectivity. This index can evaluate the connectivity threshold distance above which individuals cannot disperse and clarify the difference in the spatial scale of effective dispersal between population abundance and genetic diversity. Pond connectivity significantly affected the spatial variation of both population abundance and genetic diversity. In contrast, pond size was related only to population abundance. As we predicted, the connectivity threshold distance for genetic diversity was more than two times greater than that for population abundance (12.5 km versus 5 km, respectively). Our findings indicate that the landscape managers should consider various spatial scales as a conservation unit for the management of a habitat network in accordance with the conservation targets that they establish. We also found that small artificial agricultural ditches and streams may play important roles in sustaining the population networks of wetland organisms.

Altered beta diversity in post‐agricultural woodlands: two hypotheses and the role of scale

Agricultural land use commonly leaves a persistent signature on the ecosystems that develop after agricultural abandonment. This agricultural legacy limits the biodiversity supported by post‐agricultural habitats compared to remnant habitats that have never been used for agriculture. In particular, beta diversity (variation in community composition across space) at both large and small spatial scales can differ between post‐agricultural and remnant habitats, but we do not understand the mechanisms driving these differences. We surveyed plant communities at 29 pairs of post‐agricultural and remnant longleaf pine woodlands (58 total woodlands) to test for patterns consistent with two hypothesized mechanisms for why post‐agricultural ecosystems support altered beta diversity. 1) Post‐agricultural sites support different levels of underlying environmental heterogeneity than remnants. 2) Establishment of species associated with remnant habitats into post‐ agricultural woodlands is limited by dispersal and/or environmental conditions. We found no support for the environmental heterogeneity hypothesis and strong support for the idea that species establishment limits reassembling communities. Our results revealed a novel and important nuance to the establishment limitation hypothesis: spatially constrained, but not completely prevented, re‐establishment of remnant‐associated species in post‐agricultural woodlands increased within‐site beta diversity, contrary to results at larger among‐site (landscape) scales. Our use of a powerful paired‐site design permits these insights into how agriculture and abandonment affect beta diversity at two spatial scales, highlighting the prominent influence of edges even a half century after agricultural abandonment. The importance of constrained species establishment during ecosystem recovery, and its scale‐dependent effect, could provide valuable guidance to enhance the utility of post‐agricultural habitats for biodiversity conservation.

Impacts of agricultural intensification on avian richness at multiple scales in Dry Chaco forests

Agricultural expansion and intensification is driving rapid landscape modification in the South American Gran Chaco, affecting biodiversity at multiple spatial scales. Research on biodiversity change in modified landscapes has focused mainly on remnant habitat patches. However, the habitat quality of the matrix is increasingly recognized as a key element for planning conservation in agricultural landscapes. We employed a multi-model selection approach to test 13 hypotheses about the influence of spatial scales and structural attributes on the richness of bird assemblages and forest specialist species within matrix types at the Argentine Dry Chaco. We selected 27 cattle ranches where six structural attributes of vegetation operating at different spatial scales (plot, edge and landscape) varied independently across a matrix intensification gradient in the agricultural frontier. We found that structural attributes operating at the plot, edge and landscape scale have significant influence on overall richness, with plot-scale attributes being more important than edge and landscape-scale attributes in driving bird occurrence in the grazing matrix. Factors operating at the plot scale had the largest influence on the richness of forest specialist species in the matrix. These results suggest that planning for the long-term conservation of Dry Chaco forests avifauna should pay attention to the effects of local agricultural management. Where further cattle production intensification cannot be avoided, implementation of highly selective clearing methods can mitigate the degradation of habitat quality for birds. Where cattle production intensification has already occurred, native tree plantings on cleared areas can restore significant bird diversity.

The role of remnants of Amazon savanna for the conservation of Neotropical mammal communities in eucalyptus plantations

In this study, we investigated the effects of the partial conversion of native Amazon savanna into a eucalyptus plantation on the richness, composition, and abundance of medium and large mammals. Considering these plantations as an integral component of a patchwork savanna landscape, we verified how the negative effects of these plantations can be buffered by the conservation of remnants of native habitat within their area. We analyzed the contribution of each type of Amazonian savanna to the maintenance of the mammalian fauna and the potential of eucalyptus plantations to substitute these native habitats. A total of 23 mammal species were recorded in line-transect surveys conducted within the conserved savanna. By contrast, only eight species were recorded in the eucalyptus plantation and none of them were exclusive to this vegetation. However, the landscape patchwork formed by plantations and savanna was more diverse and contained 19 species of mammals, highlighting the potential importance of remnant savanna vegetation. The maintenance of remnants of savanna habitat may thus be essential for ensuring the conservation of mammals in the anthropogenic landscape of this region. It will also be important to include as many different subtypes of native savanna vegetation as possible and to consider the connectivity between habitats.

Designing for conservation outcomes: the value of remnant habitat for reptiles on ski runs in subalpine landscapes

Subalpine ecosystems are centres of endemism that are important for biodiversity. However, these areas are under threat from the creation, expansion and continued modification of ski runs, activities that have largely negative effects on wildlife. Despite this threat, research on the impacts of ski runs is limited for reptiles—particularly regarding the value of remnant vegetation retained on ski runs. Here we quantify the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation (i.e., patch size, patch isolation and edge effects) on the abundance of a common subalpine lizard and on thermal regimes (a key determinant of lizard distribution) in an Australian ski resort. The number of lizards observed differed significantly with habitat type (ski runs vs. forested areas) and patch isolation, but not patch size. In addition, the edges of patches supported more lizards than any other habitat type. These patterns of lizard distribution can be explained, in part, by the differing thermal regimes in each habitat. Ski runs had significantly higher ground surface temperatures than any other habitat type, precluding their use for a considerable proportion of the activity period of a lizard. In comparison, edges were characterised by lower temperatures than ski runs, but higher temperatures than the core of forested areas, potentially providing a favourable environment for thermoregulation. Based on our results, we conclude that although modified ski runs have a negative effect on lizards, patches of remnant vegetation retained on ski runs are of value for reptiles and their conservation could help mitigate the negative effects of habitat loss caused by ski run creation.

Short Communication: Rediscovery of a remnant habitat of the critically endangered species, Hopea sangal, in Pasuruan District, East Java, Indonesia

Soejono. 2014. Rediscovery of a remnant habitat of the critically endangered species, Hopea sangal, in Pasuruan District, East Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 15: 236-239. During recent exploration for surviving indigenous flora carried out in Pasuruan District, EastJava, the endangered tree species, Hopea sangal Korth., has been rediscovered in a previously unknown location in East Java. TheIUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2012, stated that H. sangal is critically endangered, A1cd, B1+2c, C1, D ver 2.3. This discoveryof H. sangal, and other supporting species that may still survive, can support the program of recovery of threatened plant species. At least for Pasuruan region, the remaining habitat, can be used as the core for H. sangal protection, thus H. sangal can breed naturally and sustainably. This information also can be used as one of the references or consideration tools for stakeholders to determine the priority of restoration policy.

La diversidad floral del borde afecta la riqueza y abundancia de visitantes florales nativos en cultivos de girasol

Ecología Austral, 24:94-102 (2014)Pollinator decline has been related to different types of anthropogenic disturbances, a topic largely debated in the context of global change. Within this debate, it has been stressed the importance of natural or semi-natural habitat remnants as pollinator sources for nearby agricultural fields. The SW of Buenos Aires Province is a highly-impacted and intensively-used agricultural region. However, field margins associated with country roads can provide diverse floristic resources and nesting sites for a variety of pollinators, which can eventually improve pollination and productivity of neighboring pollinator-dependent crops. Here, we evaluated the effect of floral diversity of field margins on the richness and abundance of floral visitors across 17 sunflower lots in the districts of Balcarce and Lobería. Our results indicate that floral diversity of field margins had a positive effect on the richness and abundance of native floral visitors in the adjacent crop field. As a consequence, pollination services in these agroecosystems would be promoted by increasing the amount and diversity of these marginal habitats.

La diversidad floral del borde afecta la riqueza y abundancia de visitantes florales nativos en cultivos de girasol

Ecología Austral, 24:94-102 (2014)Pollinator decline has been related to different types of anthropogenic disturbances, a topic largely debated in the context of global change. Within this debate, it has been stressed the importance of natural or semi-natural habitat remnants as pollinator sources for nearby agricultural fields. The SW of Buenos Aires Province is a highly-impacted and intensively-used agricultural region. However, field margins associated with country roads can provide diverse floristic resources and nesting sites for a variety of pollinators, which can eventually improve pollination and productivity of neighboring pollinator-dependent crops. Here, we evaluated the effect of floral diversity of field margins on the richness and abundance of floral visitors across 17 sunflower lots in the districts of Balcarce and Lobería. Our results indicate that floral diversity of field margins had a positive effect on the richness and abundance of native floral visitors in the adjacent crop field. As a consequence, pollination services in these agroecosystems would be promoted by increasing the amount and diversity of these marginal habitats.

Urban park characteristics, genetic variation, and historical demography of white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) populations in New York City

Severe fragmentation is a typical fate of native remnant habitats in cities, and urban wildlife with limited dispersal ability are predicted to lose genetic variation in isolated urban patches. However, little information exists on the characteristics of urban green spaces required to conserve genetic variation. In this study, we examine whether isolation in New York City (NYC) parks results in genetic bottlenecks in white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus), and test the hypotheses that park size and time since isolation are associated with genetic variability using nonlinear regression and information-theoretic model selection. White-footed mice have previously been documented to exhibit male-biased dispersal, which may create disparities in genetic variation between males and females in urban parks. We use genotypes of 18 neutral microsatellite data and four different statistical tests to assess this prediction. Given that sex-biased dispersal may create disparities between population genetic patterns inferred from bi- vs. uni-parentally inherited markers, we also sequenced a 324 bp segment of the mitochondrial D-loop for independent inferences of historical demography in urban P. leucopus. We report that isolation in urban parks does not necessarily result in genetic bottlenecks; only three out of 14 populations in NYC parks exhibited a signature of a recent bottleneck at 18 neutral microsatellite loci. Mouse populations in larger urban parks, or parks that have been isolated for shorter periods of time, also do not generally contain greater genetic variation than populations in smaller parks. These results suggest that even small networks of green spaces may be sufficient to maintain the evolutionary potential of native species with certain characteristics. We also found that isolation in urban parks results in weak to nonexistent sex-biased dispersal in a species known to exhibit male-biased dispersal in less fragmented environments. In contrast to nuclear loci, mitochondrial D-loop haplotypes exhibited a mutational pattern of demographic expansion after a recent bottleneck or selective sweep. Estimates of the timing of this expansion suggest that it occurred concurrent with urbanization of NYC over the last few dozens to hundreds of years. Given the general non-neutrality of mtDNA in many systems and evidence of selection on related coding sequences in urban P. leucopus, we argue that the P. leucopus mitochondrial genome experienced recent negative selection against haplotypes not favored in isolated urban parks. In general, rapid adaptive evolution driven by urbanization, global climate change, and other human-caused factors is underappreciated by evolutionary biologists, but many more cases will likely be documented in the near future.

Persistence of Horned Lizards (Phrynosoma spp.) in urban preserves of Central Arizona

Urbanization is rapidly enveloping isolated remnants of Sonoran Desert habitat in southern Arizona. Understanding the means by which herpetofauna can persist in these habitats in the face of multiple impacts is vital to conservation efforts to retain intact biotic communities, especially those with a high diversity of reptile species. We surveyed ten preserves in the Phoenix Metropolitan region for Desert (Phrynosoma platyrhinos) and Regal (Phrynosoma solare) horned lizards, members of an iconic group of lizards of the Southwest. At least one horned lizard species is found in preserves across the range in size, age and habitat axes we assessed, provided that their primary prey, seed-harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex rugosus) are present. Horned lizards are apparently absent from one large preserve where they were once present, perhaps as a result of a decline in seed-harvester ants, but they may have been absent from other preserves due to the lack of appropriate habitat for their prey rather than due to direct anthropogenic impacts.

Landscape mosaic attributes for maintaining ground‐living spider diversity in a biodiversity hotspot

Abstract Spiders often dominate predator assemblages in vineyard agroecosystems. Land‐use practices that enhance their diversity may be important for regional biodiversity conservation as well as biological control of vineyard pests. We surveyed ground‐dwelling spiders in habitats at different management intensities (natural habitat remnants, organic vineyards, and conventional vineyards) in the vineyard landscape of the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) biodiversity hotspot, South Africa, to examine the effects of local land use on spider diversity. Natural habitat remnants contributed significantly to the overall diversity, and supported rare families and unique species that were not found in the agricultural matrix. Nevertheless, vineyards still supported fairly high spider diversity, with a tendency for higher species richness in organic vineyards. Environmental variables relating to plant diversity, management intensity and distance to nearest natural habitat influenced spider abundance and species richness, and changes to these factors may improve the habitability of the vineyard landscape for spiders. All habitats supported various spider families that are known to prey on South African crop pests. In addition, spiders were abundant in both sampling seasons (autumn and spring), but showed a significant increase in vineyards early in the growing season, suggesting that they may provide early‐season background regulation of pests. There is considerable opportunity for spider conservation in the CFR vineyard landscape, as well as the possibility of associated benefits to biological control within vineyards.

Matrix habitat restoration alters dung beetle species responses across tropical forest edges

External threats from agricultural intensification, fire encroachment, species invasion and illegal harvesting present major conservation challenges in isolated tropical forest remnants. These processes can greatly exacerbate the magnitude of edge effects as the degree of patch to matrix contrast increases. Theory suggests that mitigation of these effects should be possible through conservation strategies that remove external threats and restore adjacent matrix structure, but this has not been tested experimentally. In the rapidly-dwindling Afromontane rainforests of Nigeria, where nature reserves have the least protection of all African conservation areas, we created an experimental matrix restoration treatment in which we excluded livestock by fencing, maintained a fire-exclusion break, and passively revegetated a 200m buffer zone in the surrounding matrix at replicated edges. After three years, dung beetle communities in remnant forests showed a 53% increase in abundance at sites adjacent to the restored matrix. Over 90% of the common dung beetle species differed in the magnitude of their edge responses between forest-to-restored versus forest-to-degraded matrix sites. Moreover, a significant difference in species richness across the forest-to-degraded matrix edge became non-significant following matrix restoration, and there was also a significant decrease in community dissimilarity across the edge gradient in these regenerating sites. Just three years after excluding threatening processes from comparatively small areas of matrix habitat, we found that these efforts not only reduced edge effects, but also (1) enhanced dung beetle populations in the adjacent reserve, (2) led to an increase in dung beetle capture rates in the regenerating matrix, and (3) facilitated re-establishment of species that were absent due to matrix degradation. Therefore, regenerating buffers can substantially increase effective reserve size and restore invertebrate communities in landscape mosaics where remnant habitats are embedded within anthropogenic landscapes.