Final answer:
The Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project (BDFFP) was initiated by Dr. Thomas Lovejoy and Brazilian researchers in 1979 to study habitat fragmentation in the Amazon rainforest.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project (BDFFP) was initiated by a team comprising of Dr. Thomas Lovejoy and several Brazilian researchers in 1979. The project's goal was to investigate the effects of habitat fragmentation on the Amazon rainforest ecosystem, particularly how isolated patches of forest would fair over time. This large-scale ecological study has greatly contributed to the understanding of how biodiversity in tropical forests is impacted by human activities such as deforestation and provides insightful data on long-term ecological changes caused by fragmentation.
Importance of BDFFP
The BDFFP has been instrumental in providing valuable information to guide conservation biology strategies, helping to understand the complex dynamics of fragmented habitats. Studies from BDFFP have revealed the ecosystem decay of forest fragments, highlighting issues such as edge effects, species loss, and the altered microclimates of these isolated sections of forests.