Knowra Forest fragmentation Forest fragmentation Forest fragmentation is the division of continuous forest into smaller, separated patches by human activity or natural disturbance. It reduces habitat area and changes the ecological conditions at patch edges.
Edge effect : Changes in ecological conditions or species interactions near the boundary between two habitats. New forest boundaries expose interior habitat to shifts in light, wind, temperature, and biological interactions.
Habitat loss : The reduction or disappearance of natural habitat available to organisms. Fragmentation often accompanies outright forest removal, and habitat loss usually drives larger biodiversity declines.
Landscape ecology : The study of how spatial patterns in landscapes affect ecological processes. It provides methods for measuring patch configuration and relating it to ecological outcomes.
Habitat degradation : The decline in habitat quality without necessarily eliminating the habitat altogether. A forest can remain continuous yet become degraded, while fragmentation describes its spatial subdivision.
Habitat connectivity : The degree to which a landscape permits organisms to move among habitat areas. Connectivity determines whether separated forest patches remain reachable to organisms.
Biodiversity : The variety of life across genes, species, and ecosystems. Fragmentation can alter species richness, composition, and genetic diversity across a landscape.
Protected area : A geographically defined area managed for the long-term conservation of nature. Protected-area design can limit forest subdivision and retain larger, more connected habitats.
Deforestation : The conversion or removal of forest cover, usually to another land use. Deforestation removes forest area; fragmentation divides what remains into smaller patches.
Metapopulation : A set of spatially separated populations linked by occasional dispersal. Patch isolation can turn local forest populations into a metapopulation.
Forest edge : The boundary zone where forest meets a different land cover or habitat. As patches multiply, a greater share of forest lies close to an exposed boundary.
Show all 23