🤯 Did You Know (click to read)
Wildlife corridors can significantly improve genetic diversity in fragmented populations.
Habitat fragmentation breaks continuous forests into isolated patches, restricting animal movement. For wide-ranging predators like the South China tiger, connectivity is essential for gene flow. Without corridors, individuals cannot disperse to find unrelated mates. Isolation accelerates inbreeding and genetic drift. Fragmentation therefore compounds demographic decline with genetic vulnerability. Landscape connectivity once allowed natural dispersal across provinces. Its loss intensified extinction risk.
💥 Impact (click to read)
Corridors function as biological highways, maintaining evolutionary exchange. Even narrow strips of forest can enable dispersal. When severed by roads or agriculture, populations become genetically stranded. Over time, isolation reduces adaptability and increases extinction probability. Fragmentation is often invisible yet biologically profound.
Reconnecting landscapes requires cross-sector planning that integrates infrastructure and conservation. The South China tiger’s fate demonstrates how physical barriers translate into genetic consequences. Preserving corridors is as critical as preserving habitat cores. Without connectivity, even protected patches may become ecological dead ends. Apex predator recovery hinges on restoring movement pathways.
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