What is forest fragmentation?

There is a finite amount of land in the United States.  This simplistic and intuitive statement carries a great burden with it because as our nation reaches new population highs, the demand on natural resources becomes more intense.  One of the impending results of growth and development to our forests is this process called 'fragmentation.' There is a wealth of information that has been researched and produced regarding forest fragmentation.  There are studies about the effects of fragmentation on wildlife habitat, biodiversity, and communities.  Recently, a conference held in Annapolis, Maryland entitled Forest Fragmentation 2000 gathered researchers from around the country to discuss the numerous and diverse implications of fragmentation.  Their findings confirm the need for more research and action in this area.  The effects of forest fragmentation are a key issue as our nation continues to develop and the demands on land continue to increase.

The definitions of fragmentation are as diverse as the subject itself.  Publications incorporate the issues of land-use planning, biodiversity, or wildlife habitat as the qualifying indicators of fragmentation.  For instance, a definition which uses habitat as the qualifier is "The splitting or isolating of patches of similar habitat, typically forest cover, but including other types of habitat...Habitat can be fragmented naturally or from forest management activities, such as clearcut logging" (Forest Service website ).  In another example, the definition is empirically linked to population growth, "Fragmentation is a complex phenomenon resulting from dynamic interactions between the natural landscape and society's ever-increasing demands on the land, creating a mosaic of natural and human-modified environments." (Tyrell).   However, the single tie that links these definitions together is the idea of fragmentation referring to the process of a contiguous land base being divided into smaller pieces.  In one definition the author sums this idea, "Fragmentation has been defined as the conversion of large areas of contiguous native forest to other types of vegetation and /or land use leaving remnant patches of forest that vary in size and isolation" (Sallabanks (FF book p192). 

One reason for the variation in definition is that no one has been able to decide on a universal set of quantifying factors which would conclusively delineate fragmentation.  The causal factors of fragmentation are limitless; one expert remarked that, "The question of how to define and measure fragmentation is...complex it can be anything from a road bisecting a forest to suburban sprawl" (Tyrrell).   The complexity is further enhanced by geographic location.  For instance, areas in the West are now experiencing a population growth which in turn leads to a greater demand on the land.  They now have to consider issues such as increased road construction and service facilities which ultimately will lead to fragmentation of the current land base.  In the Northeast, the major factor leading to fragmentation is urban sprawl.  More and more people are moving or desiring to move into the unique area between the city and the country, a phenomena known as ex-urbanization.  In this urban-rural interface, fragmentation is becoming a major factor.  Finally, in the South, a certain type of fragmentation is starting to develop, one which divides the landscape not by roads or structures, but by people.  This type of fragmentation is termed parcelization and is often confused or used interchangeably with fragmentation.  However, parcelization is distinct in concept and introduces another set of complications.

Fragmentation, as communities continue to grow and develop it will be an issue that will gain more importance.  Through education and understanding, it is a force that can be withstood. 

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