The deciduous forest of eastern North America has experienced dramatic changes over the past two to three centuries, transitioning from a nearly continuous forested area to increasingly patchy areas of forest broken up by farming and development

Question

Some species are more sensitive to severe habitat fragmentation than others. What are some characteristics that might make a species more susceptible to the effects of habitat and population fragmentation?

Answer 1

Habitat fragmentation leads to "islands" of habitat, introducing the potential for inbreeding and genetic drift. More sensitive species might be those that, for whatever reason, are not highly mobile, and thus tend to become marooned in subpopulations that may experience drift effects that carry them below the minimum viable population size. Highly mobile species–certain birds, for example–would be better able to maintain gene flow between the habitat islands. A related characteristic of sensitive species might be dependence on a specialized resource that is itself increasingly scarce as a result of habitat fragmentation. Generalists may have an easier time finding the resources they need in whatever habitat island they find themselves.