Future Objectives
Protecting species habitat is not just a matter of acres. Although it is very important to continually acquire land for habitat protection, patches of habitat are just not large enough to sustain populations that need lots of land. We need to protect key parcels, i.e. acquire areas that are contiguous to critical habitat, in order to prevent further habitat fragmentation. Habitat fragmentation is one of the most sifgnificant threats to the integrity of ecosystems in Rhode Island. Currently, there are many studies on the major effects of species loss such as habitat fragmentation. But according to Chris Raithel, (principal wildlife biologist at the DEM Fish and Wildlife division), the road system plays a signifcant role in habitat fragmentation. Thus, future research should be devoted to determine the degree to which the road system in Rhode Island affects habitat loss.
In addition, studies on the effectiveness of habitat corridors are of particular interest. It is well known that habitat fragmentation and isolation of populations are major contributors to the loss of biodiversity. A step toward solving this problem would be the reconnection of fragmented habitats. This is the basis for the idea of connecting reserves through corridors, or strips of habitat connecting otherwise isolated habitat patches. Corridors are vital in that they allow movement and thus recolonization among high qualtiy habitats. It is still unclear however, how well habitat corridors function as migratory paths between fragmented habitats. Many studies are currently looking at these issues as well as the types of species that benefit most from these corridors.
Some Future Objectives