Habitat fragmentation
Habitat fragmentation divides habitats into smaller, isolated patches.
It causes population fragmentation and ecosystem decay, often through human activities like land conversion.[1] Fragmentation not only reduces habitat amount but also changes the properties of remaining habitat by creating small, isolated patches.[2] The division of large, continuous habitats into smaller, isolated patches is what the term habitat fragmentation describes.[3]
Quick Facts
- Field
- Ecology
- Known for
- Process of habitat fragmentation and its effects on biodiversity
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
Geological processes that slowly alter the physical environment are suspected to be a major cause of speciation.[1] Habitat fragmentation of tropical rainforests in Euramerica 300 million years ago led to a great loss of amphibian diversity.[4] Humans frequently cause fragmentation when native plants are cleared for agriculture, rural development, urbanization, and hydroelectric reservoirs.[5] The National Wildlife Federation states that habitat loss is the primary threat to wildlife survival in the United States.[6]
Much of the remaining terrestrial wildlife habitat in the U.S. has been cut into fragments by roads and development.[6] Fossil records show that natural events like volcanism, fire, and climate change have destroyed habitats in the past.[4] Dams and water diversions have broken up the habitats of species living in water.[6] Migratory animals struggle to locate resting and feeding spots along their routes because habitats are lost and broken apart.[6]
Ecosystem functions are impaired and biodiversity is consistently lowered by 13 to 75 percent due to habitat fragmentation.[7]
What the research sources say
The Wilder Eutopia account explains that roads and traffic decrease habitat amount and quality, enhance mortality from vehicle collisions, and subdivide animal populations into smaller, more vulnerable fractions.[8] Providing crossing infrastructure at key points along transportation corridors is known to improve safety, reconnect habitats, and restore wildlife movement.[8] The Wilder Eutopia source describes that Colorado's I-70 corridor is a significant barrier to wildlife movement, bisecting a critical habitat linkage in the Southern Rocky Mountain region.[8] Connecting fragments through the preservation or planting of native vegetation corridors is one approach to addressing habitat fragmentation.[9]
Joining two fragments can sometimes be accomplished with a bridge or underpass, which reduces isolation but does not address the loss of interior habitat.[9]
References
- Wikipedia, "Habitat fragmentation" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Schlaepfer, "Genetic effects of anthropogenic habitat fragmentation on remnant animal and plant populations: a meta-analysis", Ecosphere, October 2018; Sahney, "Rainforest collapse triggered Pennsylvanian tetrapod diversification in Euramerica", Geology, 1 December 2010, p. 1079–1082; Sahney, "Rainforest collapse triggered Pennsylvanian tetrapod diversification in Euramerica", Geology, 1 December 2010, p. 1079–1082 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Habitat fragmentation" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: van den Berg, "Territory selection by the Dartford warbler (Sylvia undata) in Dorset, England: the role of vegetation type, habitat fragmentation and population size", Biological Conservation, October 2001, p. 217–228 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Habitat fragmentation" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Fahrig, "Habitat fragmentation: A long and tangled tale", Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2019, p. 33–41; Fahrig, "Effects of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity", Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 2003, p. 487–515 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Habitat fragmentation" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Sahney, "Rainforest collapse triggered Pennsylvanian tetrapod diversification in Euramerica", Geology, 1 December 2010, p. 1079–1082; McLachlan, "Outcomes of longterm deciduous forest restoration in southwestern Ontario, Canada", Biological Conservation, October 2003, p. 159–169; McLachlan, "Outcomes of longterm deciduous forest restoration in southwestern Ontario, Canada", Biological Conservation, October 2003, p. 159–169; Sahney, "Rainforest collapse triggered Pennsylvanian tetrapod diversification in Euramerica", Geology, 1 Dec en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Habitat fragmentation" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Templeton, "The Genetic Consequences of Habitat Fragmentation", Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 1990, p. 13–27 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Habitat Loss", National Wildlife Federation. facts only, no text reused. nwf.org
- Wikipedia, "Habitat fragmentation" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Fahrig, "Effects of Habitat Fragmentation on Biodiversity", Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, November 2003, p. 487–515; Lienert, "Habitat fragmentation effects on fitness of plant populations – a review", Journal for Nature Conservation, July 2004, p. 53–72 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Wildlife Crossings: Animals survive with bridges and tunnels", Wilder Eutopia, 2013-05-19. facts only, no text reused. wilderutopia.com
- Wikipedia, "Habitat fragmentation" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Wildlife Crossings: Animals survive with bridges and tunnels", Wilder Eutopia, 2013-05-19 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Habitat fragmentation (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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