The numerical effect is obvious: there are fewer salmon in degraded regions than in pristine ones; however, habitat loss also has the potential to reduce genetic diversity.
Low levels of straying are crucial, since the process provides a source of novel genes and a mechanism by which a location can be repopulates should the fish there disappear.
这里的opposing是作adj.对立的 而不是表示反对的意思
Political parties represented (opposing) political interests rather than the general public good.