2013 Open Space Conference - Linkages Panel

Maintaining and restoring critical wildlife linkages in the Bay AreaThe Bay Area Open Space Council conference on “Collective Impact.”

May 16, 2013

Connectivity is the main takeaway from 25 years of conservation biology

Roads and other human impacts make “islands” out of natural areas

Wildlife needs movement for nature to persist; as the climate changes, plants and animals need to get where they are going.

Mammals 21

Birds 13

Amphibians 6

Reptiles 5

Fish 4

Invertebrates 2

Plants 15

66 Focal Species Selected

Least-Cost Corridor Analysis

Goal: Define area with lowest relative cost of travel for focal species between protected core areas

Walker and Craighead 1997 Craighead et al. 2001 Singleton et al. 2002

Network of Least-Cost Corridors showing species overlap

Identification of Key Riparian Corridors

Potential Habitat & Patch Size for Mountain Lion

Blue Ridge-Marin Coast Linkage where Wendy is Working

Santa Cruz-Gabilan Linkage where Kirk is working

Santa Cruz Puma Project Mountian Lion GPS Collar Location Results

Map illustrating the top 0.5% least-cost corridors crossing Highway 17

Wilmers et al. 2013

Map Illustrating Highway 17 Connectivity Design Schematic

Clear debris

Retrofit

Retrofit

Proposed directional fencing to crossing structures

OR-7 shows us corridors of protection work!