Editing Habitat fragmentation (section)

== Approaches to understanding habitat fragmentation ==
Two approaches are typically used to understand habitat fragmentation and its ecological impacts.

=== Species-oriented approach ===
The species-oriented approach focuses specifically on individual species and how they each respond to their environment and habitat changes with in it. This approach can be limited because it does only focus on individual species and does not allow for a broad view of the impacts of habitat fragmentation across species.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Fischer|first1=Joern|last2=Lindenmayer|first2=David B.|title=Landscape Modification and Habitat Fragmentation: A synthesis|journal=Global Ecology and Biogeography|date=February 7, 2007|volume=16|issue=3|pages=265–280|doi=10.1111/j.1466-8238.2007.00287.x|bibcode=2007GloEB..16..265F |ref=1|doi-access=free}}</ref>

==== Pattern-oriented approach ====
The pattern-oriented approach is based on land cover and its patterning in correlation with species occurrences. One model of study for landscape patterning is the patch-matrix-corridor model developed by [[Richard Forman]] The pattern-oriented approach focuses on land cover defined by human means and activities. This model has stemmed from [[island biogeography]] and tries to infer causal relationships between the defined landscapes and the occurrence of species or groups of species within them. The approach has limitations in its collective assumptions across species or landscapes which may not account for variations amongst them.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Fischer |first1=Joern |last2=Lindenmayer |first2=David B. |date=May 2007 |title=Landscape modification and habitat fragmentation: a synthesis |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1466-8238.2007.00287.x |journal=Global Ecology and Biogeography |language=en |volume=16 |issue=3 |pages=265–280 |doi=10.1111/j.1466-8238.2007.00287.x |bibcode=2007GloEB..16..265F |issn=1466-822X}}</ref>

==== Variegation model ====
The other model is the variegation model. Variegated landscapes retain much of their natural vegetation but are intermixed with gradients of modified habitat <ref>{{cite web|title=Landscape Ecology and Landscape Change|url=http://www.veac.vic.gov.au/reports/Chapter%202%20-%20Landscape%20Ecology%20and%20Landscape%20Change.pdf|access-date=March 22, 2018|ref=2}}</ref> This model of habitat fragmentation typically applies to landscapes that are modified by agriculture. In contrast to the fragmentation model that is denoted by isolated patches of habitat surrounded by unsuitable landscape environments, the variegation model applies to landscapes modified by agriculture where small patches of habitat remain near the remnant original habitat. In between these patches are a matrix of grassland that is often modified versions of the original habitat. These areas do not present as much of a barrier to native species.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=McIntyre |first1=S. |last2=Barrett |first2=G. W. |title=Habitat Variegation, An Alternative to Fragmentation |journal=Conservation Biology |date=1992 |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=146–147 |jstor=2385863 |doi=10.1046/j.1523-1739.1992.610146.x|bibcode=1992ConBi...6..146M }}</ref>