Farm landscapes can either fragment or connect wildlife habitat depending on management choices, with major implications for wildlife welfare through the landscape.
Agricultural landscape management determines wildlife welfare at the scale of entire ecosystems. Fragmented farm landscapes trap wildlife populations in isolated patches, increasing stress from resource competition, reducing genetic diversity, and leaving animals unable to respond to local habitat deterioration by moving. Connected landscapes with hedgerows, field margins, and buffer strips allow wildlife to move, find food, escape predators, and find mates. Agri-environment payment schemes that reward farmers for maintaining and restoring wildlife connectivity features directly convert agricultural management into landscape-scale wildlife welfare improvement.