The observation that larger areas typically support more species is the basis for the species-area relationship, one of the oldest and best known relationships in ecology. Although this relationship holds true across a wide range of areas, and for many groups of species, it often predicts that small habitats should have more species than are actually present. The lower diversity found in small habitats may be a consequence of there being fewer rare species in those habitats than would be expected based on relatively simple species area relationships. A long-term, large-scale experiment will be established to test mechanisms underlying an increased extinction risk of rare species in smaller habitats in experimentally restored Ozark Glade communities. Plant communities in these rocky-outcrop ecosystems will be monitored following experimental restoration, and the demography of several rare species will be followed closely. Additional experiments will test the importance of biotic interactions, such as predation and mutualism, and habitat geometry to the persistence of rare species.
Results from this study will have important implications for understanding, and trying to mitigate, biodiversity loss from small habitats, especially loss of rare species. This study will focus on a unique ecosystem type with many endemic species, and will engage practicing restoration ecologists as well as the general public on nearby public lands. Many undergraduate students and local high school interns will participate in the research as part of an informal science education program. Further, the long-term and large-scale nature of this experiment will create scientific infrastructure that will support research on related topics by undergraduate and graduate students, as well as researchers from other institutions.
