Roadless Rule: How it Protects Our Forests

Read more about the roadless rule and our forests - https://www.outdooralliance.org/blog/...

The effects of edge habitat are wide reaching, and often overlooked. This video covers the basics of what the edge habitat is, what edge effects are, and what are the potential impacts of habitat fragmentation in relation to edge effects. Biodiversity benefits from a mixed array of habitat, however, roads fragment the landscape leading to an overabundance of Edge habitat in relation to non-edge habitat.

The Roadless rule protects our old growth forests, critical wildlife conservation efforts, and was specifically requested by the american public in 2001. To rescind this rule only weakens protections for our forests and gives more power to those who wish to destroy it.

This video covers, what are edge effects? How far do edge effects reach into a forest? What species are found in the edge habitat? How do roads create edge habitat?

A few other sources:
https://www.npr.org/2025/08/29/nx-s1-...
https://research.fs.usda.gov/treesear...
https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/7/1255

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00:00 - Introduction to Today's Video
00:29 - What is the Roadless Rule?
01:17 - A caution on "sustainable" logging
02:25 - What is edge habitat?
03:54 - Real examples of roadside edge habitat
04:30 - What are edge effects?
05:07 - Invasive species are an edge effect
05:45 - How wind is an edge effect
07:27 - How edge effects are linked to habitat fragmentation?
11:42 - How wildfires are linked to habitat fragmentation
12:18 - the penultimate political aside
13:35 - What can you do about the Roadless rule?