Size of a remnant patch
- The smaller the remnant, the
greater the influence external factors are likely to have on the species
within the remnant
- In small remnants, ecosystem
processes are driven by external rather than internal forces
- Large remnants have a large
core that is not affected by edge
effects
- The minimum size an ecosystem
needs to be to preserve its species diversity and composition is unknown
- Larger remnants usually have
more habitat diversity than smaller remnants
- Remnant size determines potential
population size
- Larger populations have higher levels of heterozygosity
than small isolated populations - heterozygosity refers to genetic variability
and is important for long term viability
