Is it possible for grizzly bears to move from one recovery ecosystem to another?
A “linkage zone” is a biological corridor that connects habitat between two isolated subpopulations of animals. The ability of individual animals to move across complex landscapes is critical for maintaining regional populations and for species to shift their geographic range in response to climate
change and the expansion of human development.
Habitat fragmentation is one of the issues complicating the conservation of grizzly bears and many other species of wildlife. Cooperation and coordination between public land managers, fish and game agencies, private landowners, and state and federal transportation agencies is required to maintain linkage zones that work for wildlife. The IGBC supports this cooperation and coordination. Maintaining linkage opportunities will benefit all wildlife species and will help assure healthy populations of the wildlife species we all value.
The following publications address the issue of grizzly bear linkage zones.
- Servheen C, Waller JS and Sandstrom P. 2001. Identification and management of linkage zones for grizzly bears between the large blocks of public land in the Northern Rocky Mountains. IN: Proceedings of the 2001 International Conference on Ecology and Transportation, Eds. Irwin CL, Garrett P, McDermott KP. Center for Transportation and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC: pp. 161-179
- IGBC Public Lands Wildlife Linkage Taskforce. 2004. Identifying and Managing Wildlife Linkage Approach Areas on Public Lands: A Report to the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee