Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42855894›Full record

ArticleEcology2026

Corridors increase ant diversity over time.

Melissa A Burt, Susan R Whitehead, Julian Resasco

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Ecology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Melissa A BurtDepartment of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3796-4607
Susan R WhiteheadDepartment of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7089-4594
Julian ResascoDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1605-3038

Funding

National Science Foundation DEB-1912729National Science Foundation DEB-1913501U.S. Department of Energy DE-EM0003622
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Globally, habitat loss and fragmentation pose significant threats to biodiversity. Habitat corridors are often used in fragmented landscapes to reconnect isolated patches. However, understanding how corridors function can be challenging, as their effects may be confounded with simultaneous changes to habitat area, edge amount, and connectivity among patches. Here, we used a long-term, landscape scale experiment to investigate two potential mechanisms by which corridors may influence biodiversity-via increasing habitat connectivity or through increasing the amount of edge. With pitfall trap sampling conducted over 5 years (9-15 years since site establishment), we assessed the relative effects of connectivity and edge effects by measuring ant biodiversity in four ways: (1) taxonomic diversity, (2) functional diversity, (3) community composition, and (4) site-to-site variance in community composition (i.e., beta diversity). We found evidence of both connectivity and edge effects on ant diversity and community composition. Taxonomic diversity increased linearly in all patch types over time, yet accumulated more quickly in connected than in isolated patches. The faster accumulation of taxonomic diversity in connected patches was associated with greater site-to-site variance in community composition. Although we found no differences in mean taxonomic diversity within patches (alpha diversity), the faster accumulation of taxonomic diversity and greater beta diversity among patches with corridors suggests that ant diversity in connected patches may eventually surpass that of isolated patch types. Finally, while we found no effect of edge amount for how fast taxonomic diversity accumulated over time, functional group diversity accumulated more quickly in winged patches that have more edge habitat relative to interior habitat than rectangular patches. Taken together, these results add to a body of literature that shows the potential for habitat corridors to have positive effects on biodiversity by increasing connectivity and that these effects may continue to accrue over time.

Indexed as

AntsBiodiversityEcosystemAnimalsTime Factorsantsconnectivitycorridorsedge effectsFormicidaefragmentation

Identifiers

PMID42855894
PMCPMC13653127

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.