By Brianne Hogan / Source: Ecorazzi

Here’s a depressing discovery: a new study revealed that the world’s forests are more fragmented than ever.

Researchers at North Carolina State University found that if someone were to be taken randomly into one of the world’s many forests, there would be a 70 percent chance of being within a half-mile of the forest edge.

The analysis means that, basically, no forest on Earth, except for those in the Amazon and Congo, can be considered wilderness.

You can blame urban, suburban and agricultural development for carving up forests, as well as other vital habitats, like fields, wetlands and ecosystems.

“It’s no secret that the world’s forests are shrinking, so this study asked about the effects of this habitat loss and fragmentation on the remaining forests,” study co-author Nick Haddad, a biologist at N.C. State, said in a press release.

The findings are not good news for already-shrinking biodiversity. Earlier studies have demonstrated that ecological fracturing reduces the diversity of plants and animal species by anywhere from 13 to 75 percent.

“Some results showed a 50 percent or higher decline in plant and animals species over an average of just 20 years, for example,” Haddad said. “And the trajectory is still spiraling downward.”

Haddad suggested that preserving chunks of land and installing wildlife corridors are mitigation options, he cautioned that humans have to act quickly before some species are lost forever.

Ugh.

Read more @ Ecorazzi