MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY
(Plan another management activity)
Bears are excellent indicators of other wildlife species that need large tracts of neighboring forests. If we can keep bears in our environment, we can also keep many other species of wildlife in Vermont. The greatest threat to Vermont’s bear population is the fragmentation of large connected blocks of forestland. Forests can be broken up by highways, residential and resort development, and suburban expansion. Such uses of the land threaten bear populations by restricting the large-ranging animal to smaller blocks of habitat, which lowers their ability to reach critical foods. Diverse forestland habitat with limited human disturbance is the key to maintaining healthy bear populations.
A way that we can work to stop or decrease the fragmentation of blocks of forestland is to only build new infrastructure in areas that won't affect the habitat of these animals. Even though this could create some inconvenience for people such as having to take a much longer route to get somewhere, it will stop the decrease of black bear population.
(Plan another management activity)
Bears are excellent indicators of other wildlife species that need large tracts of neighboring forests. If we can keep bears in our environment, we can also keep many other species of wildlife in Vermont. The greatest threat to Vermont’s bear population is the fragmentation of large connected blocks of forestland. Forests can be broken up by highways, residential and resort development, and suburban expansion. Such uses of the land threaten bear populations by restricting the large-ranging animal to smaller blocks of habitat, which lowers their ability to reach critical foods. Diverse forestland habitat with limited human disturbance is the key to maintaining healthy bear populations.
A way that we can work to stop or decrease the fragmentation of blocks of forestland is to only build new infrastructure in areas that won't affect the habitat of these animals. Even though this could create some inconvenience for people such as having to take a much longer route to get somewhere, it will stop the decrease of black bear population.