Apart from what was said above, climate change can also hinder the ability of species to cope with modified land-cover. If climate change depresses population sizes or causes increased stochasticity in population dynamics, for example as a consequence of increased incidents of extreme events, then habitat networks may require larger patches and improved connectivity to maintain populations. Loss and fragmentation of habitat may also severely hinder the movement of species and their ability to cope with climate change through tracking of suitable climatic conditions. Spatial heterogeneity may help buffer the impact for some species, however the buffering will vary regionally. Population responses to extreme climatic events, such as fire and flooding, are also likely to be affected by habitat quality, area and heterogeneity. Here is some good reading:

Opdam, P., Wascher, D., 2004. Climate change meets habitat fragmentation: linking landscape and biogeographical scale levels in research and conservation. Biological Conservation 117, 285-297.

Brook, B.W., Sodhi, N.S., Bradshaw, C.J.A., 2008. Synergies among extinction drivers under global change. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 23, 453-460.

Thomas, C.D., Franco, A.M.A., Hill, J.K., 2006. Range retractions and extinction in the face of climate warming. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 21, 415-416.

Mantyka-Pringle, Chrystal S., et al. "Climate change modifies risk of global biodiversity loss due to land-cover change." Biological Conservation 187 (2015): 103-111.

Hi Sidharta

both observational studies and modelling work show that fragmentation exacerbates the impact of climate change through a range of interactions. One of the main threats posed by fragmentation in a climate change context is that it affects the ability of species to move in response to changing climate. There's really a lot published on this issue. To give you an idea, below please find a few key papers worth reading on the subject. Hope this helps, best, Danilo

http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nclimate2746.html

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2011.02593.x/abstract

http://research.eeescience.utoledo.edu/lees/Teaching/EEES4760_07/Opdam.PDF

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2010.05450.x/abstract

http://www.wsl.ch/staff/niklaus.zimmermann/papers/GlobalEcolBiogeogr_Meier_2012.pdf

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.12771/abstract

Thank you very much Dr. Russo. Yes, as I find it, these references are what I need most which links climate change to habitat fragmentation and biodiversity management. I also find that Peter M. Vitousek has done some important work on habitat fragmentation. Besides, one of your paper available for download at RG deals with ecosystem management and conservation policies, which I am going through.

Thanks again,

Regards, Sidharta

Well, nice to hear your new research about biodiversity. I have an opportunity to work in Eastern Himalayan  biodiversity hot spot area, and I am notice during my field trip the havoc destruction of natural forest  ecosystem both the high altitude as well adjacent plain area. The vast land of North Bengal, Assam and Arunachal have bio-rich zone, potential habitat of various fauna and flora.  The effect is catastrophic, I am talking about insect world and their change of population system. Our interest in Dipteran insect and their biology, in this consequence I told you some case- Meghalaya's new high way project that fragment Ceratopogonidae habitat in upper khasi hill area; before 1970's Darjeeling have not plunge in Culex mosquito, now it available in this area; We also notice the change of genome sequence of Culicoides (Ceratopogonidae) which spread Blue tongue in North Bengal area...

I just want to say please address the problem of dispersal range change, tolerance of high temperature,  feeding habit change and the change of population dynamics.

Finally I want to thanks your initiative of new research.   

Thanks Nilotpol for your informative account on the extent of biodiversity loss which you have noticed in person in your field trip to the Eastern Himalayas. Beyond doubt, biodiversity loss and habitat destruction are two necessary evils that are eroding the landscape of this pristine region. Furthermore, the effect on flora and fauna, and the extent of landscape alteration compounded by drastic change in dispersal range, is an alarming factor to take into account if someone is seriously concerned about ecology. I shall definitely try to address these issues in my forthcoming paper.

Thanks again for your info. Keep in touch.

Best Regards, Sidharta

here's a marine example

https://peerj.com/articles/1053/

Kind regards

Richard

Hi Sidharta,

I studied aquatic insects in fragmented natural habitats of a marsh. Conversion of natural habitats into rice paddies has been very common in Southeast Asia, resulting to habitat fargmentation. But we know that insects are generally highly adaptive to changing environmental conditions. In my study, aquatic insects have the tendency to use the water in rice paddies as temporary habitats during dry spell. This is because water in rice paddies are managed using an irrigation network, hence, the source of water is farther away. Thus in a marsh that the ecosystem is like a 'sponge' wherein during dry spell it can also be dry and inundated during the wet season, the adaptation of aquatic insects is to seek temporary refuge in the rice paddies.

I also wonder how aquatic insects or soil insects respond to sustained habitat loss. I am now studying soil insects in mined-out areas and these are also my questions: what methodology can I use to assess the response of soil insects to stripping the soil surface in nickel mining? how soon can the soil insects return to the ecosystem, if ever they return?

Rowena

Apart from what was said above, climate change can also hinder the ability of species to cope with modified land-cover. If climate change depresses population sizes or causes increased stochasticity in population dynamics, for example as a consequence of increased incidents of extreme events, then habitat networks may require larger patches and improved connectivity to maintain populations. Loss and fragmentation of habitat may also severely hinder the movement of species and their ability to cope with climate change through tracking of suitable climatic conditions. Spatial heterogeneity may help buffer the impact for some species, however the buffering will vary regionally. Population responses to extreme climatic events, such as fire and flooding, are also likely to be affected by habitat quality, area and heterogeneity. Here is some good reading:

Opdam, P., Wascher, D., 2004. Climate change meets habitat fragmentation: linking landscape and biogeographical scale levels in research and conservation. Biological Conservation 117, 285-297.

Brook, B.W., Sodhi, N.S., Bradshaw, C.J.A., 2008. Synergies among extinction drivers under global change. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 23, 453-460.

Thomas, C.D., Franco, A.M.A., Hill, J.K., 2006. Range retractions and extinction in the face of climate warming. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 21, 415-416.

Mantyka-Pringle, Chrystal S., et al. "Climate change modifies risk of global biodiversity loss due to land-cover change." Biological Conservation 187 (2015): 103-111.

Dear Sid,

It is an interesting topic you are working upon.

I have not gone through above references yet, but may suggest you to consider following points for your study.

1. Inter and Intraspecific interactions in fragmented or newly encroached habitat

2. Homogeneity of metapopulation in fragmented habitat and its effect upon fitness of species

3. Ecotone effect

Regards

Prakash

Dear Sidharta, 

Could you kindly specify if you are dealing with mainland species or insular ones?The impacts do differ depending on spatial and temporal factors. 

In Mauritius, habitat fragmentation and destruction are the most prominent threats to our biodiversity, which also give way to another major threat: alien invasive species that compete with the native for resources and even lead the native plant species to extinction. So, one of the main response is extinction- quite drastic. Other possible adaptive responses could be at the level of plant-pollinator interactions, alterations in the reproductive cycle, floral traits. Another impact could be at the genetic level, where small populations with low genetic variability, hence making the species increasingly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation and the like.

You could have an idea through these papers:

Kaiser-Bunbury, C. N., Traveset, A., & Hansen, D. M. (2010). Conservation and restoration of plant–animal mutualisms on oceanic islands. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, 12(2), 131-143.

Caujape-Castells, J., Tye, A., Crawford, D. J., Santos-Guerra, A., Sakai, A., Beaver, K., ... & Kueffer, C. (2010). Conservation of oceanic island floras: present and future global challenges. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, 12(2), 107-129.

Baider, C., & Florens, F. V. (2011). Control of invasive alien weeds averts imminent plant extinction. Biological Invasions, 13(12), 2641-2646.

it is very interesting. I am also working on Ecological Engineering for Conservation Biological Control of Insect Pests in Vegetable Ecosystem of Kashmir.

it is my suggestion to work on Conservation Biological Control because its help on biodiversity conservation in future.