New research demonstrates importance of private land in wildlife corridors

A new article in Land, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, titled “Urban Green Infrastructure Connectivity: The Role of Private Semi-Natural Areas,” highlights the significance of private land within wildlife corridor efforts. The authors identify so-called “private semi-natural spaces” such as backyards, ranches, parks, pocket parks, and green spaces along roads as crucial to larger projects seeking to help wildlife navigate fragmented habitats.

The authors studied the rapidly growing city of San Marcos, an ideal site for wildlife corridors, given how new urbanization disrupts traditional wildlife habitats there. As cities like San Marcos expand, ecosystems are disrupted. Wildlife corridors, or stretches of land connecting fragmented habitats, can help preserve these ecosystems.

The study analyzed urban green-blue infrastructure networks, or corridors of green space and water, within San Marcos to develop maps of potential corridors for two species: the golden-cheeked warbler and the Rio Grande wild turkey. The warbler, an endangered species, travels by air, whereas the turkey travels on the ground. After using geospatial, vegetation, and water data, the researchers classified all parts of the study area (San Marcos) and paired this data with species behavior to identify a list of potential corridors for both species.

The authors found that 60% of the land in these corridors was privately owned, and 23% of the land was in neighborhood areas. Since such a high percentage of this land falls on private property, creating wildlife corridors is not as simple as just protecting public lands. Instead, government entities must implement the proper incentives to protect habitat on private lands. The report emphasized the utility of conservation easements, agreements between the government and a landowner restricting land use in exchange for payment or tax exemptions, for creating habitat corridors.

The paper also proposed a number of additional strategies tailored toward smaller lots and neighborhoods instead of larger properties. Fence-free easements and minimal green corridors are two solutions that could create or sustain wildlife corridors in denser areas. Some neighborhoods already have these deed restrictions, but they aren’t routinely enforced. The authors recommended incentivized tree planting and “community-based conservation initiatives where neighboring landowners collaborate to create wildlife corridors and shared conservation areas.” Finally, the paper suggested broadening wildlife tax exemptions to include smaller properties. Wildlife tax exemptions offer a financial incentive to maintain part of one’s property as wildlife habitat. However, current Texas policy requires a minimum of anywhere from 10 to 100 acres of land (depending on the location) for this exemption. This program could be expanded to smaller lots to allow more property owners to take advantage of it and facilitate wildlife corridors in suburban and urban areas.

The paper also noted that a single parcel of land can be vital in connecting an entire habitat corridor. The best corridor for both the warbler and the turkey had a single small parcel of land that connected both sides. Thus, a single Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) decision about whether or not to implement a wildlife crossing could be extremely consequential for an entire habitat corridor. Earlier this month, Environment Texas called upon TxDOT to build more wildlife crossings. With support from agencies like TxDOT and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas can become a leader in protecting habitats by implementing wildlife corridors.