What is habitat fragmentation? For hundreds of millions of years, fungi and plants enjoyed vast, open landscapes across which their genes could spread. Human development has sliced this environment into smaller, isolated habitats — creating genetic islands ripe for inbreeding and extinction. Essential fungi: Fungi are vital to ecosystem health, thanks to their ability to break down organic matter. Many plants and trees rely on fungal mycelium to obtain nutrients and water. When human development splits apart these “mycorrhizal associations”, it isn’t just the fungi and plants that suffer but every reliant species in the ecosystem. Japanese Douglas-firs: Researchers recently studied the relationship between the endangered Rhizopogon togasawarius fungus and the Japanese Douglas-fir. Habit fragmentation limited the genetic diversity of the isolated R. togasawarius fungi populations, which led to less efficient nutrient uptake for the Japanese Douglas-firs. Only 2,000 adult Japanese Douglas-firs exist worldwide, and declining fungal diversity could spell the death of these remaining scattered tree populations. Genetic diversity = survival : Genetic diversity decreases when species are isolated to one location. Without outside populations to mingle with, the isolated group risks extinction due to inbreeding. While modern conservation efforts mainly focus on larger, more visible species, the genetic diversity of our fungal networks is crucial to keeping ecosystems balanced and healthy. Learn more here.