The Importance of Connectivity

Hannah Lisecky Latest Articles

Prince Edward Island is a mosaic of small, privately owned parcels, with high road density and a history of deforestation for farmland. These factors have created fragmented habitat for wildlife in the remaining forest and wetlands, which has increased the occurrence and severity of “edge effects”.

Map of INT properties interacting like puzzle pieces, demonstrating the importance of connectivity.

Edge effects occur on the boundary of an ecosystem and can negatively impact wildlife and ecological processes through exposure to outside stressors including wind, temperature variance, water pollution, and noise. These stressors can make wildlife more susceptible to disease, pests, and increased predation, depending on the species.

Extensive habitat fragmentation has also created many “pinch points” across PEI. These are corridors where wildlife is funneled between habitats. Further habitat loss in these regions can reduce species travel significantly.

One of INT’s core goals is to reduce future fragmentation by protecting large, connected areas
of wildlife habitat. This also protects “interior forests”, which are generally characterized as 200 meters into a forest, where edge effects no longer significantly impact the ecosystem. Protected interior forests are rare on PEI, and provide critical habitat for species such as the provincially rare eastern hemlock and the federally at-risk olive-sided flycatcher.

Connectivity Highlight

Since 2020, INT has acquired over 1,450 acres within one of Prince County’s largest contiguous forest blocks in Alaska and one of PEI’s most natural prominent pinch points in Portage, shown below.

Corridors of Connectivity 5 Years of Growth

Demonstration of the change in the number of acres of protected area acquired by INT from 2020 to 2025.

In recent years, INT has made significant strides in acquiring large parcels and building onto existing Natural Areas. These regions are home to ecologically significant features, including interior forests and federally at-risk and provincially rare species. INT also prioritizes protecting land within pinch points, promoting free travel of wildlife within fragmented landscapes.

Historic roadway fragmenting the Farmington Woodlands Natural Area in Kings County, PE.
Historic roadway fragmenting the Farmington Woodlands Natural Area in Kings County, PE.

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