Native Plants As Habitat For Wildlife - Native Plant Society of ...

Biodiversity and the Link Between Native Habitat and Wildlife
Alan G. Appleby
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society
The concept of habitat is fundamental to our understanding of the natural world we live
in. And fundamental to our efforts to keep it healthy and sustainable. But what really do
we know about habitat and the relationships of organisms that live in and ultimately
create it
In the broader context, habitat has dimensions of time, place and process that we have not
yet fully incorporated into our thinking. Some of these dimensions go beyond our normal
biological concept of habitat into broader geographic, social and cultural arenas not
usually integrated into the equation.
With the accelerating pace of change in our environment both locally and globally, we
need to find ways to incorporate broader ways of thinking and acting to preserve
examples of healthy functioning habitats. Protected area programs offer some hope that
we can maintain specimen areas to broadly address and preserve representative habitat
areas that sustain their internal ecological integrity and the links between habitat and
wildlife.
If we are to maintain healthy habitat for the range of biodiversity we are willing to share
this earth with, we must begin to conceptualize and work within the broader picture as
part of our local research, management and advocacy activities.
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