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An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Wildlife Corridors charts some best practices and makes some new theoretical contributions related to the design and creation of wildlife corridors in Anthropocene times. The book not only provides much of the knowledge necessary for a general and credible understanding of connectivity projects, but also makes a unique theoretical contribution to current knowledge about wildlife corridors by arguing that theories about compassion, empathy, and traditional ecological knowledge should inform wildlife corridor projects.
Wildlife corridors, or connectivity projects, are necessary, because when land is set aside or used for human activities, habitats that were once contiguous become fragmented. If species are unable to move between these fragmented areas, they become at risk of inbreeding or extinction. Wildlife corridors attempt to remediate such fragmentation by restoring connectivity and creating expanses of habitat that can provide species with important bridges and points of connection between other habitats. Providing such linkages between habitats reduces these risks and helps maintain genetic diversity and a population's health.
The book argues for a holistic approach to wildlife corridors that attempts to account for a broad and varied range of stakeholder voices, including those of the vulnerable nonhuman species that underpin the need for corridor projects in the first place. This book should appeal to general audiences and practitioners alike.
Part I: Concepts, Considerations, and Perspectives in the Theory and Practice of Wildlife Corridors
1. Introduction
2. Key Concepts and Ideas
3. Design and Management
4. Communication across Audiences
5. Emerging Theoretical Perspectives
Part II: Illustrative Cases: Theory in Practice
1. The Wildlife Crossing on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana: Respecting the Spirit of Place
2. The Monkton Wildlife Crossing and the Rare Blue-spotted Salamander: Vermont’s First Amphibian Crossing Tunnels
3. The Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in Hawaii: Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Fishing Communities, and Migratory Marine Transit Corridors
4. The Railway from Oxford to London Marylebone: Transportation Upgrade Meets Compassion for Vulnerable Habitats
5. Aero-Corridors in U.S. Cities: Light Pollution and Migratory Birds
Part III: Looking Ahead: Best Practices and New Perspectives Related to Wildlife Corridors
1. Conclusion
2. Best Practices and New Theoretical Directions
Notes
Works Cited
Index
Amy D. Propen is an associate professor of writing at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and author of Visualizing Posthuman Conservation in the Age of the Anthropocene.
"In today's increasingly human-dominated world, nonhumans need all the help they can get. They deserve safe areas in which to travel about, and human-free corridors are the least we can do for them to have better lives and to enjoy the freedoms these areas offer. Amy Propen carefully explains why providing corridors is the compassionate and empathic thing to do and why we must do all we can to offer these 'luxuries' during the rage of humanity."
– Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy – and Why They Matter
"In these times of climate disruption and biodiversity collapse, it can be challenging to hold hope and find solutions. A paradigm shift is needed in conservation, both scientifically and socially. Amy Propen details in this excellent new book how the growing movement around wildlife corridors offers a way forward. Her call for a new approach that weaves ecological restoration with a 'conservation practice grounded in an ethic of care and empathy' is both welcome and essential. As she writes here, rethinking our human spaces and how they can accommodate – rather than banish – wildlife is critical to the future of the wild world."
– Beth Pratt, Founder and Executive Director, The Wildlife Crossing Fund
"In this timely contribution, Propen draws together recent propositions from the diverse fields of environmental philosophy, animal studies, and indigenous worldviews, with extensive empirical research on a range of actually existing, diversely defined wildlife corridors. The resulting text is a hopeful one, showing readers the promise of carefully constructed wildlife corridors for meeting the challenges of holding space open for wildlife to survive and even, perhaps, thrive in times of ecological crisis."
– Dr Aurora Fredriksen, Senior Lecturer in Human Geography, The University of Manchester
