Assessing the connectivity value of roadway structures for terrestrial mammals across the Northern Appalachian forest of Vermont.

ABSTRACT: Landscape connectivity is often negatively impacted by road networks that fragment habitat and result in genetic and demographic consequences for wildlife. Existing roadway structures like bridges, culverts, and underpasses can facilitate connectivity and reduce the barrier effect of roads by providing less risky areas for animals to cross. Estimating areas of high wildlife movement near roads is beneficial for prioritizing transportation investments for wildlife. We used an omnidirectional circuit theory approach to model the movements of eight terrestrial mammal species across the state of Vermont, a forested region central to the globally important Northern Appalachian ecoregion. We combined expert-derived landscape resistance surfaces with wildlife occurrence data to develop species-sp

SUBMITTER: Drasher CE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12410740 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature