Habitat fragmentation is a landscape-level phenomenon in which a once-continuous habitat is broken into smaller, spatially isolated patches separated by a matrix of modified or unsuitable land cover. It encompasses reductions in patch size, increased edge-to-interior ratios, and isolation effects that alter species movement, gene flow, metapopulation dynamics, and community composition. Fragmentation modifies abiotic conditions (e.g., microclimate, hydrology), disrupts ecological interactions such as pollination and predation, and can increase extinction risk, invasion susceptibility, and biotic homogenization. It is typically quantified using metrics of patch configuration, connectivity, and edge density in landscape ecology and conservation biology.
National governments and multilateral institutions face difficult challenges reconciling environmental goals, such as biodiversity conservation and addressing climate change, with economic development goals. In a first-of-its-kind ...
Environment
21 hours ago
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Fish that split their lives between fresh and salt water often face obstacles getting back and forth. Dams and roads fracture river networks and interfere with traditional migratory routes, sparking concerns about fish health ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 4, 2026
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Research from the University of Twente shows how the Javan leopard, one of the world's rarest big cats, survives on one of the most crowded islands on Earth. Using camera traps and spatial models, Andhika Chandra Ariyanto, ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 3, 2026
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Across Europe, many landscapes show strong potential to move forward climate mitigation, climate adaptation, and biodiversity benefits, with low socioeconomic risk, according to an analysis using a new climate-smart rewilding ...
Environment
May 25, 2026
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Current indices for assessing the biological status and quality of rivers are designed to study perennial rivers, so they are not suitable for temporary rivers. This is because the lack of a constant flow of water in the ...
Ecology
May 13, 2026
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When species are subjected to changing environments, they can survive in their current location through genetic adaptation. However, this ability is not unlimited. In a study published in PNAS, biomathematician Jitka Polechová ...
Evolution
May 11, 2026
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Grasslands and associated wildlife in the Great Plains of North America have declined precipitously and are now experiencing an increase in large wildfire activity. In a Journal of Wildlife Management study evaluating habitat ...
Plants & Animals
May 6, 2026
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Long an emblem of the summer road trip, squashed bugs on the car have become less numerous over the years, many people say—causing concern about the health of the world's insect populations.
Ecology
Apr 30, 2026
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Each May, nature lovers get out of bed early to experience the seasonal wonder of birds singing, as the sun rises above the horizon to take part in International Dawn Chorus Day.
Ecology
Apr 28, 2026
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From brightly colored birds to the much-loved sugar glider, Australia's native animals are a sight to behold. The island continent is home to nearly 600,000 plants, animals and insects, many of which are found nowhere else ...
Ecology
Apr 28, 2026
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