Not All Tree Cover Connects: Home Gardens Outperform Plantations for Biodiversity in Rwanda

We evaluated how tree cover and home gardens in western Rwanda influence landscape connectivity and biodiversity. Tree-cover connectivity, largely from exotic plantations, was negatively associated with woody plant and bird diversity, whereas home-garden connectivity showed positive effects as ecological stepping stones.

Protect remaining natural forests first, as they are irreplaceable for native biodiversity. FLR should also restore secondary forests with indigenous trees and expand biodiverse agroforestry systems like home gardens.

See the full paper here: Sun, P., Baumann, M., Kaplin, A. B., Kuemmerle, T., Fischer, J. (2026), Home-garden connectivity rather than tree-cover connectivity facilitates biodiversity in fragmented tropical forest landscapes. Landscape Ecology, 41:78.