Final answer:
Wildlife corridors help maintain forest health by connecting isolated habitats, enabling the movement of species and the dispersal of seeds, which reduces the negative effects of habitat fragmentation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question concerning how wildlife corridors keep forests intact can be answered by option (c): Corridors connect smaller patches of forest, allowing animal movement. Wildlife corridors are integral to maintaining biodiversity and forest ecosystem health by counteracting the negative effects of habitat fragmentation. They act as bridges that allow for the movement of species between isolated habitats, which is critical for genetic diversity, migration, and the dispersal of organisms for feeding and breeding purposes.
Large-scale conservation corridors, such as the "Yellowstone to Yukon" and the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, exemplify the positive impact of corridors on biodiversity. They facilitate not only the movement of animals but also the dispersal of seeds and spores, which are essential for the regeneration of plant communities.
Providing wildlife corridors between smaller preserves can make these preserves function similarly to a larger one. This increased connectivity minimizes the isolation of populations and, therefore, allows ecosystems to thrive even in the face of human-induced changes like logging, farming, and urban development.