University of Salford lecturer holds cover of prestigious Journal

Dr Christoph Meyer, a lecturer in Global Ecology & Conservation has had his work published in the prestigious journal Ecography, and even made the front cover of the publication.

Habitat loss and associated fragmentation — the division of native habitat into smaller and more isolated patches separated by a “matrix” of human-modified land cover — have widely been shown to have pervasive and often deleterious effects on biodiversity. Such effects often manifest as local declines in the number of species in habitat remnants.

The new research indicates that, despite a reduction in species numbers, key ecological functions of animals such as plant pollination and seed dispersal can be maintained even in relatively small forest patches as long as they are surrounded by a wildlife-friendly matrix like regenerating forest that offers valuable resources for species.

Dr Meyer’s work investigates how both species richness and species’ ecological functions erode in response to habitat loss and fragmentation. By deepening our knowledge on the impact of species loss better informed decisions can be made when managing valuable conservation areas for generations to come. 

When talking about his published work Dr Meyer said: “I was extremely pleased to see our work published in such a reputable journal.”