Most large natural areas provide diverse habitat requirements that can satisfy the needs of dozens of individuals of more than 100 different wildlife species. Construction activities remove natural habitat requirements so that some native species' needs can no longer be satisfied. Because original habitat conditions are altered by construction operations, new requirements also may be created providing homes for a different array of species. One of the most damaging environmental impacts of construction can be the elimination of threatened or endangered species from the site or adjacent areas. This can occur either when essential habitat requirements are removed or when disturbance activities cause the animals to abandon the site.
Food Plants are the primary source of energy supporting large, complex food webs in any environment.
Plant parts such as leaves, twigs, bark, roots, fruits, nuts, and seeds are eaten by insects, mammals, and birds which in turn are eaten to sustain larger animals. Diets of many wildlife species also change seasonally. For example, cardinals eat seeds during the fall and winter but switch to eating soft insects during spring and summer. Cover Wildlife species need protection from predators and weather. Cover helps to restrict the amount of food available at any time to each level in a food web so the energy flow will be sustained generation after generation.