Using historical ecology to understand patterns of biodiversity in fragmented agricultural landscapes

摘要

Aim To enhance current attempts to understand biodiversity patterns by using an historical ecology approach to highlight the over-riding influence of land-use history in creating past, current and future patterns of biodiversity in fragmented agricultural landscapes. Methods We develop an integrative conceptual framework for understanding spatial and temporal variations in landscape patterns in fragmented agricultural landscapes by presenting five postulates (hypotheses) which highlight the important role of hist Results We conclude that there is limited potential to refine our understanding of patterns of biodiversity in human-modified landscapes based on traditional concepts of island biogeography, or simple assumptions of ongoing destruction and degradatio Main conclusions An historical ecology approach can enhance our understanding of why different species and ecosystem states occur where they do, and can explain internal variations in ecological conditions within remnant ecosystems, too often casuall