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https://theconversation.com/stepping-stones-for-wildlife-how-linking-up-isolated-habitats-can-help-nature-thrive-in-our-cities-234923>
"Imagine you’re a fairywren living in a patch of scrub behind a schoolyard in
the suburbs. It’s been pretty nice so far, but a recent increase in
neighbourhood cats and the council’s insect control tactics mean it’s time to
look for somewhere safer to live.
There’s a problem, though. You’re a small, bright blue bird that tends to make
short flights from shrub to shrub, staying safe in the foliage. Beyond your
little patch of habitat, there don’t seem to be any places you can easily
access. On one side are wide-open sportsfields; on the other, a busy six-lane
road. Where do you go?
It’s a bad situation for a fairywren, and for many other native species in
cities. In ecology, we call this habitat fragmentation.
The map of suitable habitat for city-dwelling wildlife often looks like a
scattering of islands in an inhospitable sea of other land uses. These species
face threats or barriers such as roads, buildings, fences and feral predators.
This poses several issues, such as barring access to feeding areas, increasing
competition for nesting spaces within habitat patches and even reducing gene
flow by making it hard to find mates.
Our newly published research shows how native species in our cities can benefit
if we focus on creating strategically located green spaces to connect isolated
patches of habitat."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
