What best describes habitat fragmentation?

Habitat fragmentation is best described as the process of dividing a larger habitat into smaller, isolated areas. This phenomenon often occurs due to human activities, such as urban development, agriculture, and road construction. As natural habitats become fragmented, the pieces can become too small to support viable populations of some species, leading to a decline in biodiversity.

Fragmentation can severely impact an ecosystem's health by limiting the movement of species between habitat patches, which is essential for feeding, mating, and genetic diversity. Isolated patches may also become more vulnerable to external threats, such as invasive species, climate change, and habitat degradation.

The other concepts, such as the total number of species in an ecosystem or the introduction of excess nutrients, are related to biodiversity and ecosystem health but do not convey the meaning of habitat fragmentation itself. Each of these ideas addresses different environmental issues, but they do not encapsulate the specific process of habitat fragmentation.