A new study from the Wildlife Conservation Society shows that habitat alteration may be less important than other factors- such as human behavior- in driving the effects of “exurban” development on bird communities. Source: phys.org
GR: This limited study needs repetition. Its results suggest that the human impacts identified in other studies overwhelm the contribution of natural habitat diversity. Thus, regulation of human activity can be equal across habitats, and need not vary with habitat structural diversity. The human activities include initial construction that eliminates habitat, introduction of exotic species, movements, noise, lighting, and pets that degrade habitat quality. We really need to stop destroying habitat. A first step is revising our building and zoning codes to combine new residences and community activities into single tall buildings.