Negotiating a Fragmented World: What Do We Know, How Do We Know It, and Where Do We Go from Here?

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This paper provides an insightful and comprehensive review on the impacts of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity, with a clear focus on genetic diversity and the challenges posed by anthropogenic changes to landscapes. The integration of metapopulation theory and the emerging concepts of metacommunities and metaecosystems are particularly compelling, offering a novel perspective on how we can approach conservation in fragmented habitats. The inclusion of landscape genetics/genomics adds further depth, providing an innovative approach to understanding the complex interactions between species and their environments. Overall, this is a well-written and thought-provoking piece that adds significant value to the field.

I have just a few minor suggestions for improvement.

Abstract

The abstract is clear, but a suggestion for improvement is to better connect how landscape genetics/genomics ties into metacommunity/metaecosystem theories. For instance, clarify how landscape genetics enhances understanding of species interactions in fragmented habitats. A more integrated transition could strengthen the narrative.

Introduction

The introduction provides a solid foundation, but one suggestion for improvement is to simplify and streamline the language to make the key points more accessible better change "The forces of evolution – mutation, natural selection, random genetic drift, and gene flow – have shaped the Earth’s biodiversity." Into “Evolutionary forces, including mutation, natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow, have shaped Earth's biodiversity."

All the figures look good, but I’m uncertain whether the author can directly use a figure published by another author in the review without obtaining permission from the publisher. I’m concerned about potential copyright issues.

Conclusion

It would be beneficial for the author to include a conclusion section.

Author Response

Negotiating a fragmented world: what do we know, how do we know it and where do we go from here?

MM Peacock

Reviewer #1

Comment: The abstract is clear, but a suggestion for improvement is to better connect how landscape genetics/genomics ties into metacommunity/metaecosystem theories. For instance, clarify how landscape genetics enhances understanding of species interactions in fragmented habitats. A more integrated transition could strengthen the narrative.

Response: Thank you for your comment.

I have rewritten the abstract as suggested to provide a better transition to the manuscript body.

Comment: The introduction provides a solid foundation, but one suggestion for improvement is to simplify and streamline the language to make the key points more accessible better change "The forces of evolution – mutation, natural selection, random genetic drift, and gene flow – have shaped the Earth’s biodiversity." Into “Evolutionary forces, including mutation, natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow, have shaped Earth's biodiversity."

Response: Thank you for your comment.

I have added the suggested edit and streamlined language in the introduction where needed.

Comment: All the figures look good, but I’m uncertain whether the author can directly use a figure published by another author in the review without obtaining permission from the publisher. I’m concerned about potential copyright issues.

Response: Thank you for your comment.

I have obtained all of the necessary licenses for reproducing these figures from the publishers. License numbers are included in the figure legends.

Comment: It would be beneficial for the author to include a conclusion section.

Response: Thank you for your comment.

I have added a conclusion section.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The review primarily focuses on habitat fragmentation and its effects on genetic diversity, evolutionary potential, and species interactions within fragmented ecosystems. It reviews existing literature on metapopulation and metacommunity theories, highlighting the importance of connectivity between habitats and the role of genetic diversity in conservation efforts.  The paper effectively covers the topic of habitat fragmentation, addressing both theoretical frameworks (like metapopulation dynamics) and practical implications for conservation. The arguments are logically developed, from the importance of genetic diversity to the impact of fragmentation and conservation strategies, and the conceptual illustrations are helpful. It identifies gaps in current research, particularly regarding landscape metapopulation capacity and the need for further studies on multi-species interactions.

Overall, the paper is well-written and thoroughly addresses habitat fragmentation and its implications for biodiversity and conservation. It provides a solid foundation for understanding the complexities of ecological dynamics in fragmented landscapes and highlights the need for continued research in this area.

There are some points that the author needs to correct:

Her titles should be deleted after her name, as is customary in scientific publications.

The references must be formatted per MDPI requirements - [##].

Author Response

Negotiating a fragmented world: what do we know, how do we know it and where do we go from here?

MM Peacock

Reviewer #2

Comment: Her titles should be deleted after her name, as is customary in scientific publications.

Response: Thank you for your comment.

I have redone the title page accordingly.

Comment: The references must be formatted per MDPI requirements - [##].

Response: Thank you for your comment.

I have gone through and made sure all references have the appropriate MDPI format.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear  Dr. Mary M. Peacock,

Thank you for the opportunity to review the manuscript "Negotiating a Fragmented World: What Do We Know, How Do We Know It and Where Do We Go from Here?". It is a well-crafted review article that provides comprehensive insights into the subject matter.

I have attached a PDF with a few comments that I hope will further enhance the manuscript. Additionally, some of the images could be improved to better support the text and enhance the overall presentation of the article.

Thank you again for the opportunity to review this work.

Best regards,

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Negotiating a fragmented world: what do we know, how do we know it and where do we go from here?

MM Peacock

Reviewer #3

Comment: lines 30-31. Reviewer suggested adding reference at the end of the following sentence, “The forces of evolution – mutation, natural selection, random genetic drift, and gene flow – have shaped the Earth’s biodiversity.”

Response: Thanks you for your comment.

I did not add references here, as this statement represents our understanding of evolution in total and is accepted by all of science. There are no other forces that could shape biodiversity. There are also 1000s upon 1000s of papers that provide evidence of these processes, adding references therefore seemed superfluous.

Comment: lines 72-73 Reviewer suggests adding references at the end of the following sentence, “That habitat fragmentation was as a global conservation concern was quickly recognized and there is a now a vast literature on this topic.”

Response: Thank you for your comment.

I added several references that are extensive reviews of the habitat fragmentation literature.

Comment: Reviewer suggests modifying Figure 4 to improve quality.

Response: Thank you for your comment.

I replaced this figure with a simpler black and white figure that improves the clarity.

Comment: Reviewer suggests modifying Figure 14 to improve quality.

Response: Thank you for your comment.

I redid this figure with clearer images to improve quality.