CONCLUSION
Our results in an epiphyllous metapopulation, confirm that forest
fragmentation has induced marked effects on both plant population
demography and genetic differentiation over half a century. Declines in
colonization events in 1- and 10-ha fragment replicates (Zartman &
Shaw, 2006), associated with reduced colony densities, led to
accelerated genetic drift altering the allelic frequency in smaller
fragments, more evident in 1-ha patches when compared to large patches
(100-ha fragment and continuous forest). Furthermore, the mating system
(unisexual vs. bisexual) was related to differential sensitivities to
the intensity of fragmentation with a contrasting response on the
genetic diversity and allelic frequency. Specifically, the unisexual
species was characterized by higher migration rates which maintained
similar genetic diversity between small patches and large patches, when
compared to the bisexual species. Further research should expand
sampling considering species with different traits (Sierra et al.,
2019b), and consider habitat-dependent reproductive performance
(Maciel-Silva et al., 2012) to formulate universal predictions of
species sensitivity to habitat fragmentation. Also, how the synergistic
effects of habitat fragmentation and climate change will impact the mid-
to long-term demographic evolutionary process is of high concern (Scott
et al., 2021). Finally, further research should target if genetic
variations are subject to adaptive evolution in species experiencing the
effects of habitat fragmentation (Hanski et al., 2017). An integrative
eco-evolutionary approach will improve conservation strategies for
maintaining among-population processes for the persistence of
metapopulation in future landscape and climate scenarios.