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Track: Natural Resources and Conservation
Richard Walker
American Wildlands
40 East Main Street Suite 2
Bozeman, MT 59715
Telephone: 406-586-8175
Fax: 406-586-8242
E-mail: amwild@mcn.net
Lance Craighead
Analyzing Wildlife Movement Corridors in Montana Using GIS
We analyzed probable movement routes for wildlife between the three large core reserves in the Northern Rockies using an ArcInfo and GRID-based GIS. Our approach was multitiered and consisted of habitat suitability models combined with movement simulation models. The first approximation used simple vegetation cover categories and a road density layer to describe suitable habitat for three "umbrella" species: grizzly bear, elk, and mountain lion. A least-cost-path analysis located broad potential corridor routes. A second approximation used more precise vegetation cover categories derived from Montana Gap Analysis data, topographical layers, and the actual road location to define suitable habitat for these three species. A more sophisticated individual animal movement simulation model was developed to locate routes within the resultant grid. These techniques identified probable movement routes and pinpointed critical barriers, bottlenecks, and filters where corridor routes intersected with high-risk
habitat. This analysis is being used to identify priority areas for wildlife management to improve the connectivity between the core reserves.
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