Habitat isolation and ecological barriers - the effect on small mammal populations and communities

Various effects of habitat isolation on both population and community processes in small mammals are presented and discussed; numerous examples are given. Both ecological characteristics of a single patch populations (local population level) and ecological processes among habitat patches (metapopulation level) are presented. The connectivity as a parameter which measures inter-patch processes id discussed. The role of habitat barriers as "filters" structuring both populations and communities of small mammals in heterogeneous environments is presented.