A comparison on the response to forest fragmentation by medium-sized Iberian carnivores in central Spain
We studied the use of forest fragments by five medium-sized carnivorespecies in 280 forest fragments on the two Iberian plateaus. We looked forindirect evidence (faeces, tracks, dens) of fragment use (occurrence) by thespecies and analysed whether occurrence could be related to four groups ofvariables: local (vegetation structure and patch size), landscape (distance topossible colonisation sources), regional (fragment location on the northern orsouthern plateau) and the vegetation type of the fragments. We analysed thedifferential response of species according to their life-history and behaviouraltraits. The relationship between use by each species and the factors studied wasanalysed using stepwise logistic regressions. Results indicate that threefactors are crucial to explain fragment use: fragment size, geographic locationand vegetation type. Large fragments are used more than smaller ones, thenorthern plateau is more suitable than the southern plateau, and holm oak andbroad-leaved oak forests are more used than pine woods. The effects andmagnitude varied slightly among species, depending on habitat requirements orlife-history traits. Data indicate that conservation strategies in fragmentedenvironments must take into account elements functioning at different spatialscales, and that it is essential to consider each case within a characteristicregional context.