Frontiers in Sustainable Cities (Oct 2022)

Urban wildlife corridors: Building bridges for wildlife and people

  • Amanda J. Zellmer,
  • Amanda J. Zellmer,
  • Barbara S. Goto

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/frsc.2022.954089
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 4

Abstract

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Urbanization is rapidly expanding across the globe, leading to increasing threats to wildlife in and around cities. Wildlife corridors are one strategy used to connect fragmented wildlife populations; however, building wildlife corridors in urban areas remains a challenge because of the number of barriers between habitat patches and the extensive number of property owners and stakeholders involved. Successful urban wildlife corridor conservation thus requires a collaborative approach and a cohesive plan that transcends municipal boundaries. Here we demonstrate how urban wildlife corridor conservation can provide a unique opportunity to build bridges not only for wildlife but also among scientists, non-profits, government agencies, and communities. Our case study centers on the conservation of a network of wildlife corridors in one of the world's megacities, Los Angeles, and the positive feedback loop sparked by collaboration between research and non-profit work. We discuss the benefits of and challenges to building complex collaborations for the purpose of strengthening urban resilience and redesigning sustainable cities.

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