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Maintain habitat connectivity: Collect road crossing data

If data are not visible, use the plus sign to zoom in. Priority areas for: a) terrestrial connectivity for wetland? and aquatic ecosystems are represented as green dots on roads. You can layer in results as top 5%, top 10%, top 15% and top 20%; darker colors represent higher priorities; b) terrestrial connectivity via large wildlife crossing structures are represented as pink polygons on roads; and c) road-stream crossings that serve or could be modified to serve as important passage structures for terrestrial connectivity are represented in the pink-purple dots. You can layer in results as top 5%, top 10%, top 15%, top 20% and top 25%; darker colors represent higher priorities. Data are from the Critical Linkages Phase I (2011) and Critical Linkages Phase II (2013) analyses. The final three layers are from The Nature Conservancy's Berkshire Wildlife Linkage project. They include priority road segments for mitigation (i.e., use of wildlife crossing structures), priority areas for connectivity, and habitat nodes (core areas).

 

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If data are not visible, use the plus sign to zoom in. Priority areas for: a) terrestrial connectivity for...

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Adaptation Strategies and Actions

Maintain habitat connectivity: Collect road crossing data

Adaptation type: 
Roadway infrastructure, crossings, and dams
Volunteer involvement

Strategy:

Restore and maintain terrestrial and aquatic connectivity sufficient to maintain healthy ecosystems and wildlife populations

Animal movements across the landscape are important for maintaining healthy wildlife populations. Climate change is likely to result in changes to habitat conditions (temperature, rainfall, vegetation) that will require adjustments in the areas occupied by many species. Restoring and maintaining landscape connectivity sufficient to allow wildlife populations to adjust their distribution over time is a critically important strategy for adapting to climate change.

Action

Collect information on where wildlife crosses roads and submit it to the Linking Landscapes web site
Landscape models are very useful for identifying locations where wildlife crossing structures might do the most good. However, it is helpful to have information collected in the field when choosing among all the possibilities.

Screen shots from the Linking Landscapes for Massachusetts Wildlife web site.
Screen shots from the Linking Landscapes for Massachusetts Wildlife web site.

Linking Landscapes for Massachusetts Wildlife is a collaborative effort using the MA Department of Transportation, MA Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst to collect data on locations where wildlife crosses roads to identify where action should be taken to reduce mortality and restore landscape connectivity. Volunteers adopt and monitor particular road segments or more generally record data on roads in their area. These are contributed to one of three databases maintained by the project.

The Turtle Roadway Mortality Study: Volunteers monitor for road-killed turtles on selected road segments during three time periods each year corresponding to peak turtle nesting. Map information on this page depicting priority areas for amphibian and turtle crossings is a useful guide to areas where data on turtle mortality is most needed.

The Vernal Pool? Salamander Migration Study: Conducted in collaboration with the Vernal Pool Association, volunteers document the migration of vernal pool amphibians (wood frogs and spotted, blue-spotted, Jefferson and marbled salamanders) where they cross roads. Information about amphibian crossings in priority areas for amphibian and turtle crossings can be used to identify locations where crossing structures can promote terrestrial connectivity at both a local and regional scale.

The Wildlife Roadway Mortality Database: Information about roadkill hotspots can help spur action to reduce mortality or facilitate wildlife passage through the use of wildlife crossing structures or modifications to road-stream crossings (bridges and culverts). This information is especially useful for areas depicted in the maps information on this page as priority areas for large wildlife crossings and priority areas for road-stream crossings for terrestrial wildlife.

Visit the Linking Landscapes web site to see how you can get involved.

Scope and Constraints

Time: 
One-time action
Ongoing action
Cost: 
Minimal or no cost
Geographical: 
Parcel-scale
Town-scale
Regional-scale
State-scale
Jurisdictional: 
No jurisdiction required

Goals

National Fish Wildlife Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy Goal 1: Conserve habitat, diversity, and connectivity
National Fish Wildlife Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy Goal 3: Enhance capacity for management
National Fish Wildlife Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy Goal 5: Increase knowledge
Forestry Goal 3: Protect rare species and sites
Forestry Goal 5: Re-connect the landscape

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