![]() ![]() Loss of habitat can also lead to increased encounters between wild species and people. Because enormous parts of the Sierra Nevada, Rocky, and Cascade mountain ranges remain undeveloped, however, mountain lions are not endangered. That means the habitat can support fewer mountain lions. As these areas expanded into the wilderness, the mountain lion’s habitat became smaller. Urban areas, such as Los Angeles, California, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, grew rapidly during the 20th century. To successfully live and reproduce, a single mountain lion patrols this much territory. ![]() The mountain lion of North America, for instance, has a range of up to 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles). Many animals have a range of hundreds of square kilometers. Loss of habitat may happen as development takes place in a species range. Species have less room to live and reproduce. As trees are cut down, this habitat is lost. So do hundreds of species of tropical birds and mammals such as monkeys. Plants such as vines, fungi such as mushrooms, and insects such as butterflies live in the rain forest canopy. Tree crowns provide habitat in the canopy, or top layer, of a rainforest. As trees are destroyed, species that depend on that tree habitat may also become endangered. Some species, such as fig trees of the rain forest, may provide habitat for other species. Development can also endanger species indirectly. The Amazon rain forest is cleared for cattle ranches, logging, and ur ban use. To “clear” a piece of land is to remove all trees and vegetation from it. In the Amazon rain forest of South America, developers have cleared hundreds of thousands of acres. Development can eliminate habitat and native species directly. This can happen in a number of different ways. Development for housing, industry, and agriculture reduces the habitat of native organisms. Human activity can also contribute to a loss of habitat. Dinosaurs became endangered, then extinct. The dinosaurs were unable to adapt to this new, cooler habitat. The impact of the asteroid forced debris into the atmosphere, reducing the amount of heat and light that reached Earth’s surface. The hot, dry climate of the Cretaceous period changed very quickly, most likely because of an asteroid striking the Earth. Dinosaurs, for instance, lost their habitat about 65 million years ago. Loss of Habitat A loss of habitat can happen naturally. Species become endangered for two main reasons: loss of habitat and loss of genetic variation. Likewise, the best possibilities for conserving both ‘natural’ environments and agricultural systems through inclusion of fungi are likely to emerge at the intersections of disciplinary thought.An endangered species is a type of organism that is threatened by extinction. ![]() Much of the dynamism of the natural world occurs in transition zones or ‘interface’ environments. It will also examine the use of fungi in English speaking cultures as a means to reconnecting people with ‘natural’ environments. ![]() This chapter will include an examination of cultural connections with fungi and the challenges of ensuring their protection, focussing on Australia and Europe. Civilisations have been enriched and extended by fungal remedies and wild edible fungi are harvested in over 80 countries providing vital subsistence nutrition. Fungi represent not only a critical part of our biodiversity, but are also deeply entwined in our cultural heritage. Innovative approaches to forging human connections with fungi are vital to their recognition and inclusion in conservation and agriculture. Rethinking current agricultural approaches to incorporate fungi in the nutrient dynamics of soils could reverse this trend. Failure to recognise the role of fungi in soil health in industrialised farming is directly reflected in the global explosion of human health issues. How can we be serious about environmental justice when we disregard an entire kingdom? Leading mycologists consider that ecosystem approaches to conservation that exclude fungi are so compromised as to be critically invalid. The kingdom Fungi provides the connective fibre between all kingdoms through mutually beneficial symbioses, underpinning almost every terrestrial ecosystem on the planet. Meanwhile, another kingdom of organisms has been almost entirely neglected. Charismatic organisms are a keystone of global conservation for which flora and fauna have been the focus. ![]()
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