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Matrix is important for mammals in landscapes with small amounts of native forest habitat

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Abstract

Acknowledgment that the matrix matters in conserving wildlife in human-modified landscapes is increasing. However, the complex interactions of habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, habitat condition and land use have confounded attempts to disentangle the relative importance of properties of the landscape mosaic, including the matrix. To this end, we controlled for the amount of remnant forest habitat and the level of fragmentation to examine mammal species richness in human-modified landscapes of varying levels of matrix development intensity and patch attributes. We postulated seven alternative models of various patch habitat, landscape and matrix influences on mammal species richness and then tested these models using generalized linear mixed-effects models within an information theoretic framework. Matrix attributes were the most important determinants of terrestrial mammal species richness; matrix development intensity had a strong negative effect and vegetation structural complexity of the matrix had a strong positive effect. Distance to the nearest remnant forest habitat was relatively unimportant. Matrix habitat attributes are potentially a more important indicator of isolation of remnant forest patches than measures of distance to the nearest patch. We conclude that a structurally complex matrix within a human-modified landscape can provide supplementary habitat resources and increase the probability of movement across the landscape, thereby increasing mammal species richness in modified landscapes.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge funding from the University of Queensland and CSIRO, B. Triggs for analysing traces, the 60 landholders who allowed access to their properties for surveys and the manuscript reviewers and editor for helpful suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geography, Planning & Environmental Management, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia

    Megan J. Brady, Clive A. McAlpine & Greg S. Baxter

  2. The Ecology Centre, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia

    Hugh P. Possingham

  3. CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, 306 Carmody Road, St. Lucia, QLD, 4067, Australia

    Craig J. Miller

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  1. Megan J. Brady
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  2. Clive A. McAlpine
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Correspondence to Megan J. Brady.

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Brady, M.J., McAlpine, C.A., Possingham, H.P. et al. Matrix is important for mammals in landscapes with small amounts of native forest habitat. Landscape Ecol 26, 617–628 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-011-9602-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-011-9602-6

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