Connecting Habitat for Migratory Species

Working with partners, NWF seeks to connect wildlife habitat, reducing fragmentation and improving corridors for migratory species

By Jeremy Romero
Conservation
Jun 27, 2024

A herd of elk—one species that relies on connected habitat in its seasonal migrations—traverses Yellowstone National Park.

AT THE HEIGHT OF SUMMER, it’s easy to forget how harsh winter can be. During the warm months, many wildlife species in mountainous regions settle into higher-elevation summer ranges, where temperatures are moderate and food is relatively abundant. In other words: the glory days.

Once winter moves in, food and water become less available, leading wildlife to seek out habitat offering more available resources, as well as more protected shelter. Elk, mule deer and pronghorn all have been documented migrating well over 100 miles from their summer to winter ranges.

That’s a tough journey, and it may be getting tougher. According to a recent report from the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), roughly one in five CMS-listed species, or those that rely on different habitats at different points in their life cycles, are threatened with extinction globally, and 44 percent are decreasing in population size.

Those stark numbers are due in part to migration corridors fragmented by roads, fences, irresponsible development and invasive species—all of which decrease connectivity and contribute to habitat loss and degradation, making it difficult for wildlife to move freely. Studies show that when habitat is developed for human use, species including pronghorn spend less time in important landscapes, sometimes avoiding those places altogether.

Take just one of those threats to connectivity: roadways. An estimated 1 to 2 million collisions occur between vehicles and large animals every year in the United States, according to a federal study, endangering both wildlife and motorists. With the human population increasing, that number is only expected to grow. Another threat, nonwildlife-friendly fences, similarly hinders safe road crossings, resulting in wildlife injuries and, in some cases, deaths.

Fortunately, the National Wildlife Federation is working with other stakeholders to protect migrating wildlife while promoting, enhancing, restoring and conserving key habitat. With the Pueblo of Santa Ana in New Mexico, for example, NWF and transportation agencies are developing action plans to identify wildlife collision hotspots and to provide recommendations for safer crossings. NWF also is a leader in removing and modifying nonwildlife-friendly fences in the intermountain West and has provided robust recommendations to state and federal agencies on responsible energy development that reduces and prevents negative impacts to migrating wildlife.

Important projects like these allow wildlife to move more safely through better connected landscapes, helping conserve iconic species and habitat for future generations.

Jeremy Romero is a wildlife connectivity manager with the National Wildlife Federation.