▁is ▁an ▁increase ▁in ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁isolated ▁fragments ▁which ▁can ▁remain ▁un occup ied ▁by ▁local ▁fa una . ▁If ▁this ▁pers ists , ▁species ▁may ▁become ▁ext inct ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁ ▁A ▁study ▁on ▁def or est ation ▁in ▁the ▁Amazon ▁looked ▁at ▁two ▁patterns ▁of ▁habitat ▁fragment ation : ▁" fish - bone " ▁in ▁smaller ▁properties ▁and ▁another ▁un named ▁large ▁property ▁pattern . ▁The ▁large ▁property ▁pattern ▁contained ▁fewer ▁fragments ▁than ▁the ▁smaller ▁fish - bone ▁pattern . ▁The ▁results ▁suggested ▁that ▁higher ▁levels ▁of ▁fragment ation ▁within ▁the ▁fish - bone ▁pattern ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁species ▁and ▁decre ased ▁divers ity ▁of ▁large ▁verte br ates . ▁Human ▁impact s , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁fragment ation ▁of ▁for ests , ▁may ▁cause ▁large ▁areas ▁to ▁lose ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁maintain ▁b iod iversity ▁and ▁e cos ystem ▁function ▁due ▁to ▁loss ▁of ▁key ▁e colog ical ▁processes . ▁This ▁can ▁consequ ently ▁cause ▁changes ▁within ▁environments ▁and ▁ske w ▁evolution ary ▁processes . ▁ ▁In ▁North ▁America , ▁wild ▁bird ▁populations ▁have ▁decl ined ▁by ▁ 2 9 %, ▁or ▁around ▁three ▁billion , ▁since ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁largely ▁as ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁anth rop ogen ic ▁causes ▁such ▁as ▁habitat ▁loss ▁for ▁human ▁use , ▁the ▁primary ▁driver ▁of ▁the ▁decl ine , ▁along ▁with ▁w ides p read ▁use ▁of ▁ne onic ot ino id ▁insect ic ides ▁and ▁the ▁pro l ifer ation ▁of ▁domestic ated ▁c