Wildlife corridor

[2] Additionally, corridors support the re-establishment of populations that may have been reduced or wiped out due to random events like fires or disease.

[9] Wildlife corridors also have significant indirect effects on plant populations by increasing pollen and seed dispersal through animals movement, of various species between isolated habitat patches.

[11] Wildlife corridors may also include aquatic habitats often referred to as riparian ribbons,[12] and are typically found in the form of rivers and streams.

[13] Although expressions such as "freedom to roam" promote the idea of wildlife freely moving throughout natural landscapes, this same ideology does not apply to indigenous peoples.

[14] The theoretical ideas of landscape connectivity present them in a purely scientific and non-political manner that fails to account for political factors that can impact success within wildlife corridors and restorative ecological practices.

[14][17][13] As such there is a distinction in the use of ecological and indigenous knowledge when taking into account where wildlife populations are found, species composition within a community, and even seasonal patterns lengths and changes.

[14] Managing both terrestrial and aquatic lands can have a positive economic impact on Indigenous groups that continue to rely on wildlife populations for cultural practices, fishing, hunting, etc.

[13][19] Indigenous groups face financial inequities despite the large benefits of conservation efforts; this if the result of a lack of consideration placed on how wildlife corridors can impact local communities.

These animals use corridors for such events as seasonal migration, juvenile dispersal or moving between different parts of a large home range.

Species such as plants, reptiles, amphibians, birds, insects, and small mammals may spend their entire lives in linear habitats.

[23] Researchers use mark-recapture techniques and hair snares to assess genetic flow and observe how wildlife utilizes corridors.

By analyzing gene flow within a population, researchers can better understand the long- term role of corridors in migration and genetic diversity.

While wildlife corridors are essential for large species that require expensive ranges; they are also crucial for smaller animals and plants, acting as ecological connectors to move between isolated habitat fragments.

They proved to be especially effective on wide-ranging species such as carnivores, mule deer, small mammals, and reptiles, even though the corridors were not intended specifically for animals.

Researchers also learned that factors such as surrounding habitat, underpass dimensions, and human activity played a role in the frequency of usage.