How Fragmented Habitats Affect Wildlife

Habitat fragmentation breaks one continuous habitat into smaller, separate patches. Human land conversion is a major cause of this change, and slower geological shifts in the physical environment can also fragment habitats. The process usually follows the same stages: perforation, dissection, fragmentation, shrinkage, and at...

Habitats provide vital resources—such as food, shelter, and mates—that support an organism’s survival. A dense, continuous forest habitat, for example, hosts a sizable and diverse wildlife population. However, natural forces and human activity can change a habitat and impact the resident organisms.

Habitat fragmentation...