Many animals and bird species require large uninterrupted stretches of land for habitat. Breaking up forestland for house lots creates large tracts of interrupted land. Providing walking trails and recreation accesses, maintaining clean water and air and harvesting timber becomes more difficult when land is fragmented and divided among numerous owners. The biodiversity of New Hampshire's forests also is a concern in the minds of many throughout the state. Biodiversity refers to the full range of living organisms that inhabit a particular ecosystem including fields, forests and bodies of water.
Biodiversity is a new study among the scientific community.
There are still many things to research and understand about the way wildlife populations interact with each other. Another important factor impacting the future of New Hampshire's forests is the introduction of exotic species. An exotic species is nothing more than an animal, plant or insect that's not native to an area. The gypsy moth is an example of an exotic species. This insect was introduced into Massachusetts from France, with intentions of interbreeding the moth with silkworms to develop an industry using silkworms in the United States.