If new road construction continues through the regions occupied by the black bears, their populations will decrease as there will be less area to find food and shelter.
The black bear population seems to be suffering from habitat fragmentation.
<h3>HABITAT FRAGMENTATION</h3>
Fragmentation is the process through which an original habitat is separated into many smaller fragments isolated from each other.
Each of these fragments has now different properties and characteristics than the original habitat.
Habitat fragmentation, due to changes in land uses, is one of the most significant threats to biodiversity at a global level.
<h3>Habitat fragmentation: a threat to biodiversity</h3>
Habitat fragmentation has severe rebounds on species and population viability, communities structure, and ecosystem functioning.
In a healthy community, species are connected by trophic relationships creating complex nets. Habitat fragmentation breaks these nets, separates species, and divides the continuous vegetation surface.
There is a significant change in species abundance and loss, which might rebound all along the trophic chains.
Habitat fragmentation causes an increase in the native species extinction risks through three main mechanisms,
- reduction of population sizes due to habitat loss,
- reduction in dispersion capabilities due to the restricted areas,
- decrease in the species fitness.
<h3>Black bear</h3>
Roads and highways across the animals' habitat set limits for their movements and displacements.
The original habitat is restricted to a new smaller one.
The animal's big sizes and the new restricted areas have a negative effect on the species survival.
Among other negative effects, we can mention the followings,
- There is less food availability,
- It becomes more difficult to find shelters,
- There is trash that pollutes the environment and can damage animals.
The construction of a new road will cause the black bear populations to decrease as they have less area to find food and shelter.
You will learn more about habitat fragmentation at
brainly.com/question/16158147
brainly.com/question/17813394
brainly.com/question/18248900
brainly.com/question/25090232
