TROPICAL SPECIES are six times more sensitive to forests being broken up for logging or farming than temperate species, says new research. A team led by Oregon State University and including Imperial College London scientists found that sensitivity to forest fragmentation – the breakup of forests by human activities like logging or farming – increased six-fold at low versus high latitudes, putting tropical species at greater risk of extinction. The finding, published today in Science, could allow researchers to design more effective conservation schemes, such as leaving larger areas of pristine forest intact in tropical areas.
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