The natural complexion of the North American continent has changed dramatically in the time since European colonization. Although scholars now recognize that Native Americans extensively managed and manipulated their environment, the extent and condition of major habitats at that time serves as a useful baseline for measuring change. The production of food, fuel, and fiber, and the construction of housing and other infrastructure has consumed vast areas of natural habitat. While much of this conversion is old news, the loss of natural habitat and other types of open space continue. For example, between 1990 and 2000 an estimated 3.5 million acres of open space was lost to urban development across the country (McDonald et al. 2010). Considering all forms of conversion and human modification, an estimated 24 million acres of natural area was lost to development between 2001 and 2017 (CSP 2019).
Some natural ecosystems have been particularly affected by habitat loss and degradation. Taking advantage of the rich soils of the Midwest, agriculture has replaced more than 98 percent of the original tall-grass prairie, matching the level of loss to the longleaf pine forests of the Southeast. Wetlands play a particularly important role in providing fish and wildlife habitat and maintaining clean water, yet more than half (53 percent) of wetlands across the lower 48 states have been destroyed (Dahl 1990). Despite protections under the Clean Water Act, wetlands continue to disappear, and an additional 62,300 acres of wetlands were lost between 2004 and 2009 (Dahl 2011).
Next Page: Invasive Species
Author
Bruce Stein, Ph.D., Chief Scientist and Associate Vice President
National Wildlife Federation