NTRES 5800

Wildlife Corridor Conservation & Crossing Design

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2026-2027 Catalog.

Ecological connectivity conservation focuses on protecting wildlife corridors that link protected areas and other biodiverse regions. These corridors counter habitat fragmentation and form “ecological networks,” which strengthen conservation efforts and improve resilience to climate change. A major driver of fragmentation is linear infrastructure such as roads, railways, pipelines, canals, and transmission lines. Over the next 25 years, global road and rail networks are expected to double, often expanding into remote, biodiverse areas. The ecological impacts of this development remain poorly understood but contribute significantly to biodiversity loss. This course explores Wildlife Corridor and Road Ecology, including landscape architecture, wildlife movement, socio-ecological connectivity, transportation design, economics, environmental policy, Indigenous engagement, and the implementation of mitigation strategies.

Last 4 Terms Offered (None)

Learning Outcomes

• Work effectively as a team, collaborating with peers, outside experts, and instructors.
• Design and manage a team project that defines feasible goals and executes them.
• Integrate knowledge from diverse disciplines and prior courses to critically analyze a complex problem in sustainability.
• Communicate their findings to both academic and public audiences via written reports and oral presentations.
• Adapt to challenges and evolving stakeholder requests without sacrificing the rigor and objectivity of their assessment.
• Understand the complex regulatory, policy, public relations, scientific, and engineering constraints that influence ecological connectivity initiatives.

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