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Want to preserve biodiversity? Go big

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Ecologists agree that habitat loss and the fragmentation of forests reduces biodiversity in the remaining fragments.

But ecologists don't agree whether it's better to preserve many smaller, fragmented tracts of land or larger, continuous landscapes.

Findings suggest that generalist species -- species that are good at surviving in various environments -- primarily live in fragmented areas.

This study resulted from a global collaboration of ecologists, supported by the University of Michigan , says Sanders .

"I don't know if it's useful to think about continuous vs. fragmented landscapes. We need to protect biodiversity and I think this debate is not helping to actually support conservation," he says.