Question

1. In class, you discussed a 2018 paper by Palmeirim et al. The researchers observed the species richness and abundance of forest-dependent small mammals and non-forest-dependent small mammals after the construction of a dam isolated islands of various sizes. Which category of small mammals increased in abundance in the smallest islands?
   1. Forest-dependent small mammals (“core species”)
   2. Non-forest-dependent small mammals (“edge species”)

Answer 1

b) Non-forest-dependent small mammals(edge species).

The edge species will be more in the small island because the forest resources will be less here so it is not an area for the abundannce of core species.Edge species are the ones which will occur in areas of the boundary between two habitats so if the dam is constructed and divided the islands in unequal way, the smaller island will have lower forest resources and  the foresest dependent species will go extinct. They are unable to use the fragmented area and this is an unsuitable habitat for the forest dependent species. But the non forest dependent species can survive here because they have the capacity to utilize the resources in the fragmented area.