The introduction to this book starts with a quote from John Weins: ‘Habitat fragmentation is widely regarded as a – if not the – central issue in conservation biology’. This quote, from 1996, is a bold claim and, as such, requires some careful thought. It is also an eye-catching opening sentence for this book. Will the book meet the expectations raised?

This book has two important characteristics: it is both authoritative and readable. The book, divided in to twelve chapters; the author tells us it is ‘intended to provide a succinct synthesis and review of the ecology of fragmented landscapes’, and it does this by defining fragmentation, explaining its various causes and suggesting ways in which landscapes can be put back together. The book is well referenced, not only showing the breadth and depth of knowledge presented by Collinge, but also enabling the reader to use it as a starting point for much deeper study. Frequently, such a detailed book is hard to read, but here the lightness of touch means that detail is presented in a readable manner. The book would sit very well within reading lists for final-year undergraduate and masters modules. I teach a second-year undergraduate module on land-use change, and I am tempted to encourage those students to read parts of this book, if only as an excellent example of how to write a literature review. Collinge states that her intended audience covers ‘nature enthusiasts, conservation scientists and practitioners, and professional ecologists in other research circles who want to know the state of our knowledge about habitat loss and fragmentation’. To this list I would also add landscape architects and planners (perhaps they are covered by the heading ‘conservation scientists’); there is much here of interest to both groups of professionals and students.

The book begins with key ecological theories and concepts, reviewing the empirical literature and making links with environmental applications (conservation planning, ecological restoration and biological diversity) in the following chapters. Personally, I found the chapters that reviewed the results of experimentation with fragmentation and animal and plant movement particularly useful. That says something about my own interests; others will find the chapters on the edge effect, species interaction, parasites, pathogens and disease emergence, modelling, restoration or planning interesting.

In the copy I received for review, there was an errata page with details of four figures where some letters were missing from various words; these were easily inserted. Less easy to rectify is the clarity of some of the photographs and the overall presentation of the book. I cannot precisely identify whether it was the slightly yellow hue to the page, the font size or the contrast between the word and the page, but I do know that the overall impression required improvement. Nonetheless, there is a very useful and seemingly comprehensive index and an extensive reference section.