performed in North America, which has been suggested to lack applicability to U.K. deciduous woodland \cite{THOMPSON_2007}.
The study aimed to examine whether the previously hypothesised generality of edge effect mediated nest predation applies to a fragmented U.K. mixed deciduous woodland. It was hypothesised that predation rates would increase with proximity to the forest edge.
iven the previous mixed effects of edge on nest predation, a large scale study seemed appropriate to examine the affect of nest predation in the 
his experiment is the first of its scale to study these effects in the U.K.
Many previous studies on nest predation using artificial nests have been unable to identify predators responsible for the predation, which is particularly significant given the understanding that predator identity is a significant driver of edge effect's role on nest predation \cite{article}. Therefore in this study, predators were identified, where possible, using bite marks left on plasticine eggs. This should provide insights into the composition of predators that prey on forest edges in deciduous woodland, and provide insights for pest control priorities around these fragmented areas.

EXTRAS/REJECTED CONTENT

Habitat fragmentation is the process whereby a large habitat is split into a number of smaller patches with a smaller total area. Fragmentation is known to have large, consistently negative effects on existing biological communities \cite{Fahrig_2003} . As well as creating new smaller habitats, habitat fragmentation leads to an increase in the proportion of the new patches that are edge \cite{Crooks_2017}. Edges of forests have different biotic and abiotic factors driving them which can have profound impacts on biological communities. These different factors can lead to different species dominating these edge communities and affect rates of biological processes \cite{Moreno_2014}