A wildlife corridor is a relatively narrow area linking larger wildlife habitat areas. It is also called wildlife linkage or wildlife movement corridor and is an artificial connection of habitats fragmented by human development.

Created as a means of conservation, wildlife corridors are crucial to the survival of many wild species. The linkage between larger habitat areas increases the gene flow between the habitats, improving the fitness of species and replenishing isolated species.

Wildlife corridors are susceptible to the edge effect, as certain species do not prosper near the edges of an ecosystem. In our Mountains it is of vital importance that urban sprawl is not allowed to further diminish and isolate habitat into areas too small to sustain wildlife.

Highways through wildlife corridors and larger areas of habitat also pose a serious threat, both by creating further fragmentation and by traffic roadkill of animals.

Read more about wildlife corridors:

Dynamics of wildlife corridors as a result of land use changes

Earthministry

East Valley Resource Conservation District Long Range Plan

Friends of Animals: Wildlife corridors and road crossings

Habitat and Highways

Highways and Wildlife Connectivity in Europe

Right of way

Wildlife Corridors and Buffer Zones