While the Adirondacks contain many swaths
of protected wilderness, one thing they lack is the presence of major
corridors. Wildlife corridors are areas of land that allow species to move
freely between multiple habitats. These corridors are important for organisms
because it gives them the ability to migrate in search of food, water, shelter
and a mate. Wildlife corridors are also becoming especially important because
of climate change. It is expected that the increased warming of the planet will
send many species, both plant and animal, to higher latitudes. This pattern of
migration has already been observed in multiple species in the past 50 years.
The Adirondacks are home to many species
that are climate sensitive so the maintenance of wildlife corridors is
imperative for their survival. One example of an animal susceptible to the
warming climate is the American Marten. These small mammals not only prefer old
growth, coniferous forests, but also a cold, snowy climate. Martens often inhabit
areas of high elevation in the Adirondacks and will face a serious threat in
the coming decades because of climate change. Without the presence of
corridors, Martens and other climate sensitive species will be forced to migrate
to higher elevations in the park. This is called the escalator effect, as
organisms move to higher elevations in search of cooler conditions. Not only do these peaks have a finite
elevation, but there is also an increase in competition for resources as you
near the top of a mountain. It is important to have corridors within the park, and
also tracts of land that connect the park other protected landscapes in the
north. This will allow many of the climate sensitive species the ability to migrate
as temperatures increase.
One
organization that understands the importance and urgency of this issue is the
Algonquin to Adirondacks Collaborative. A2A hopes to link the Algonquin
Provincial Park with the Adirondack Park along the Frontenac Arch. A2A hopes to
work with landowners to restore and protect natural habitats along this path.
This corridor would be incredibly beneficial to the Adirondacks and would allow
many species to move freely between the two parks. It is important that we
establish corridors like this one soon so that species do not feel the pressure
of climate change.
http://www.a2alink.org/
http://www.adirondackexplorer.org/stories/natural-connections
http://www.protectadks.org/2013/01/why-wildlife-corridors-2/
Do you know exactly what A2A does in terms of working with the landowners? I can't imagine what the landowners can do, other than maybe move off the land to help create this corridor. Are they giving away pieces of land or maybe just leaving parts of the land untouched?
ReplyDeleteFrom what I can put together, I believe that A2A just wants to protect the land from further development. They chose this pathway because of the increase in tree cover and minimal land development. They hope to maintain a linkage between the two parks and make sure that this potential corridor is not developed in the future. Since 60% of the land is privately owned it would be too difficult to acquire it all. They are attempting to keep the land as minimally developed as possible and working through different programs to give these landowners incentives. I’ve been doing a little more research and read about one program where they are encouraging and aiding landowners in reforesting their land.
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