Nick Haddad, Professor and Director of W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University
Title: Reconnecting Landscapes for Nature and People
Abstract: Reconnecting landscapes that have suffered from habitat loss is the clearest way to conserve ecological systems and the services they provide. Growing evidence shows that corridors that create networks of natural habitats serve as superhighways for plants and animals. By doing so, they increase biodiversity. Their value goes beyond biodiversity conservation. We create corridors by conserving forest buffers along rivers and streams, by conserving greenways through urban areas, and by conserving strips of natural habitats through agricultural lands. In doing so, we create habitats that purify water, provide opportunities for recreation, and increase pollination. In the face of global change, corridors offer a compelling path toward conservation for nature and for people.
Originally published at environmentalchange.nd.edu.