“Like any large-scale development,” the authors write in the article spearheaded by Defenders of Wildlife, “construction of the wall and associated infrastructure, such as roads, lights, and operating bases, eliminates or degrades natural vegetation, kills animals directly or through habitat loss, fragments habitats (thereby subdividing populations into smaller, more vulnerable units), reduces habitat connectivity, erodes soils, changes fire regimes, and alters hydrological processes (for example by causing floods).”
The article, “Nature Divided: Scientists United,” highlights the dual concerns that the wall will harm wildlife populations by eliminating, degrading and fragmenting habitats and damage positive binational scientific collaborations. The new barrier threatens many contiguous habitat corridors, including the Sonora Desert, Sky Islands, Big Bend and Lower Rio Grande, and threatens ongoing scientific studies, including a binational aerial census of the endangered Sonoran pronghorn.
The article asks government officials to “mitigate as completely as possible any environmental harm resulting from projects,” including “foregoing physical barriers in places with high ecological sensitivity, such as cross-border corridors or critical habitats for endangered species.” To learn more visit https://defenders.org/border-wall.
