Habitat Fragmentation

Habitat fragmentation is commonly cited as a pervasive threat to the conservation of primates. Nevertheless, the definition and measurement of fragmentation have varied widely among studies, and there are very few assessments of the effects of fragmentation on primates at the correct scale. Thus the hypothesis that habitat fragmentation affects primate distribution, abundance, health, and/or survivorship has not been adequately tested yet. In this entry, we define habitat fragmentation, discuss how its effects on primates should be measured, review what we know about the effects of fragmentation on primates, and highlight the main gaps of information on the topic.