What analytical point is highlighted regarding the quality of habitat patches in fragmented environments?
The quality of the links between habitat patches is often as important as the patches themselves
Habitat fragmentation, caused by development like roads or housing, severely impacts this species because it relies on a network of ponds and cover areas, not just isolated spots. When these travel corridors—like overgrown drainage ditches connecting suitable ponds—are severed, smaller, isolated populations become genetically vulnerable and susceptible to local extinction. Therefore, a key analytical insight in conservation assessment is recognizing that the 'links' or corridors allowing safe movement and genetic mixing between functional habitat patches carry as much conservation value as the patches themselves. Effective protection must account for these movement routes.
