You may have noticed that I talk a lot about habitat fragmentation, whether by roads, fences, or entire human communities. There’s a reason for that; it’s a huge and very common problem. As I’ve mentioned in the past, habitat fragmentation causes a lot of problems for wildlife such as reduced resources and a reduction in genetic diversity. Due to these major issues, one of the things that has always interested me is wildlife corridors.
Wildlife corridors can take many forms. Those bridges or tunnels that allow animals to reach habitat on the other side of a fence or a road qualify as corridors, though they can be much larger. A wildlife corridor is basically a strip of land that allows wildlife to go from one patch of habitat to another. Sometimes suitable habitat is not only a few meters away, but miles away instead, and animals still need access.
Many times when a corridor is constructed it is focused on a target animal, meaning a main focus species, such
as a jaguar. That doesn’t mean only this animal would use the corridor but that certain larger species are focused on as they may require more territory and may also be popular with humans, which is often necessary to gain support, approval, and financing to construct a corridor. Often called an “umbrella” species as well, focusing on a larger animal will help the other animals within the community, extending protection and opening up new resources.
Keeping a natural wildlife corridor open and available for wildlife takes proper management and safeguards. Designing a wildlife corridor from scratch takes a completely different focus. In this case one must be constructed, which takes more planning and money than if nature has already proved one that has yet to be overtaken. Approval must be obtained, which involves a lot of governmental red tape, and public support is always a large benefit.
Designing wildlife corridors requires an understanding of the target species. It must contain suitable habitat and resources and must be large enough so that the animal will use it. Smaller species, for example, won’t use an area that doesn’t provide sufficient coverage from predators.
For larger projects Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used. This is a type of system that is becoming more and more common in the wildlife and conservation fields and it would help any students or professionals within these fields to at least have a general understanding of it. I will talk more about GIS and conservation next week, but for now, just know that GIS is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographical data. And what are we looking at when we’re constructing wildlife corridors or habitats? Geographic data! Perfect fit.
While wildlife corridors can be found all over the world, the one I am most familiar with is in South America and focuses
on jaguars (Panthera onca). It is called, fittingly, the Jaguar Corridor Initiative championed by Panthera, an organization focusing on the conservation of wild cats. This consists of not one corridor but many, stretching across several countries, from Argentina to Mexico. Encompassing so much territory, these corridors cut into areas where civilized humans live. They can cross plantations, jungle, ranches, grasslands, and more. Many of these corridors are not yet real, safe corridors, but ideas and plans scientists and supporters are striving for. Working with GIS systems to map out the areas, tracking devices, witnesses, and hard evidence track jaguar movement, showing the natural patterns of the animals and where the most effective corridors should be located.
Getting the movement patterns of the jaguars and the geography of the areas is just the beginning. Once areas have
been identified, the hard work begins. Education and outreach is necessary as many people do not want these cats in their neighborhoods and community support is vital. Government support needs to be won. Financing to create, maintain, or reclaim the corridor needs to be found, whether through grants, donations, or other sources. Human-jaguar conflict reduction strategies must be learned and implemented to reduce tensions and make the corridors safe for all involved.
From the little salamander to the giant elephant, access to natural resources and others of a species is imperative. Wildlife corridors can be hard work, but in a time of fragmented habitats, these corridors are necessary to ensure the survival of not only the focus species, but the community at large.


















































