Species Which Survive Isolation

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Many species exist in subdivided populations for social reasons, or because suitable habitat has a patchy spatial distribution. These species are less affected by fragmentation. For example, some species of plants in tropical forests exist only in light gaps left by fallen trees and rely on rapid growth and efficient dispersal to use a continually shifting mosaic of suitable habitat. Such localized sporadic disturbances help maintain species diversity in many natural communities. (Robert May, 1988)