Habitat fragmentation results in the isolation of habitats from one another, increases the ratio of edge area to interior area, and reduces the total area of habitat. Smaller habitats often exhibit more dramatic microclimatic characteristics (higher light levels, higher soil temperatures, and lower soil moisture), are more susceptible to invasion from both non-indigenous and indigenous invasive plant species, and exhibit lower species richness than larger habitats. Smaller fragments are also more likely to display "edge" effects. I measured the impact of fragment size (<5 ha, >5 ha and <10ha, and >20 ha) and distance from the edge of the fragment (0, 5m, 20m, and 50m) on (1) tree densities for eastern red cedar, Juniperus virginiana, and hardwood species collectively, (2) tree/shrub species richness, and (3) frequency of the invasive vine Lonicera japonica. The fragments were anthropogenically created, and all edges were cut more than 30 years ago. The fragments were formed from a southern oak-hickory forest at Ft. Chaffee, an Army National Guard base in northwestern Arkansas. The invasive, non-indigenous L. japonica and the invasive indigenous J. virginiana are more abundant along edges. Preliminary analysis indicates these species are also more abundant in smaller fragments and that species richness is greater in large fragments.

Key words: fragmentation, invasive species