In British Columbia, habitat destruction and degradation are endangering a number of species.

Every time a forest is cleared to build a highway or a subdivision, many species are displaced. The effects go beyond those creatures that actually live in the forest. The degradation of surrounding areas - for example, when erosion from clear-cuts silts up spawning streams - creates a ripple effect through many biological cycles.

Fragmentation of habitats also has a negative impact. When a small piece of protected wilderness becomes an island in a landscape crisscrossed with urban centres and industrial installations, wildlife populations become isolated.  This increases their susceptibility to extinction as a result of genetic inbreeding and small population size. Birds such as the Haida Gwaii goshawk may have their nesting trees protected, but often find themselves without sufficient forage to raise young. Large mammals such as grizzlies, which have huge home ranges and small birth rates, are especially impacted by fragmentation.

Even when habitat is not built over, but only altered, for example when old-growth forests are replaced with second-growth tree plantations, some species are brought to the brink of extinction. Spotted owl, the marbled murrelet and mountain caribou are all dependent on large swathes of ancient rainforest.

Part of the problem is the sheer scale of disruption caused by activities such as logging, mining and development. Human society will always need to build shelter and furniture, grow crops and use paper. But a great deal of the impact can be mitigated by how we go about these pursuits.

There are many ways we can integrate respect for wildlife and their habitats into daily personal and business decisions.  Alternatives to unsustainably harvested timber and other forest products are becoming more widely available, and we can support them with our shopping dollars. Many neighbourhood groups are involved in restoring degraded streams and wetlands. Our lifestyle choices - whether we choose to live within reach of public transit or in a car-dependent subdivision, for example - all add up.

We also need a larger framework, at the provincial level, that will leverage all these efforts from concerned individuals and businesses. The current hodgepodge of regulations and policies is ineffectual, and most species fall through the cracks. We need strong, integrated legislation that will ensure that BC biodiversity is recognized, protected and restored.