ecies by slanting the ecosystem balance of species which are highly adaptable to changing conditions. For example, the increased amount of human-dominated landscape allows certain species to grow phenomenally, which can result in harm to species which rely exclusively on very scarce areas . A commonly referred to example of this is a bird called the brown-headed cowbird. This bird is best characterized as a “nest parasite” because it because it replaces the eggs of another species with eggs of their own , allowing the other species to incubate and raise their young. Their increased numbers have had negative effects on the reproductive successfulness of many forest-dwelling birds. In addition to titling the ecosystem balance in favor of species which are highly adaptable, the loss of habitat associated with habitat fragmentation may simply cause the other, less adaptable species rates to decline. A man named James Saunders documents one remarkable example of how changing large expansive areas of the birds of the wheatbelt of western Australlia as a result of fragmentation. He showed that 41% of the birds native to the region have decreased in range or abundance since the 1900’s and indicated that almost all of these changes resulted directly from habitat fragmentation and the decline in abundance of native vegetation. Although some species have increased in abundance, he noted that many more species have been adversely affected than have benefited. Importantly, the species that typically increase in abundance or range when habit fragmentation occurs are those which are adapted for being adaptable. In other words, their resource needs can be met by a variety of conditions, and thus often by human activities by reducing their competition with other species. Because of this, these species which benefit by human activities are not the ones we need to manage for and protect. Instead, we need to protect those spe...
