Description: A Linkage Design addresses the potential movement needs for several focal species. For more details on the methods used for creating each Linkage Design refer to the individual linkage reports at http://www.scwildlands.org/reports.aspx This 'Linkage Designs' feature class delineates the outer-boundaries of 12 critical landscape linkages identified by the South Coast Missing Linkages Project. The 3 cross-border landscape linkages are not included in this generalized feature class. 1. Tehachapi The Tehachapi Connection encompasses habitats between the Sierra Madre and Castaic ranges of the Los Padres and Angeles National Forests and the Sierra Nevada Range of the Sequoia National Forest. The Linkage Design addresses the habitat and movement needs of 34 focal species, including Puma concolor (Mountain lion), Taxidea taxus (American badger), Odocoileus hemionus (Mule deer), Vulpes macrotis mutica (San Joaquin kit fox), Sciurus griseus (Western gray squirrel), Dipodomys heermanni (Heerman's kangaroo rat), Dipodomys nitratoides nitratoides (Tipton kangaroo rat), Perognathus alticola inexpectatus (Tehachapi pocket mouse), Strix occidentalis occidentalis (California spotted owl), Athene cunicularia (Burrowing owl), Toxostoma redivivum (California thrasher), Melanerpes formicivorus (Acorn woodpecker), Lampropeltis zonata (California mountain kingsnake), Gambelia wislizenii (Long-nosed leopard lizard), Gamelia sila (Blunt-nosed leopard lizard), Phrynosoma coronatum (Coast horned lizard), Clemmys marmorata (Western pond turtle), Ensatina eschscholtzii (Yellow-blotched salamander), Arctonotus lucidus (Bear sphinx moth), Speyeria callippe macaria (Callippe fritillary), Plebulina emigdionis (San Emigdio blue butterfly), Lycaena heteronea clara (Bright blue copper butterfly), Crossidius coralinus tejonicus (Tejon Longhorned borer), Brachysomida vittigera (Lined Lomatium Longhorned borer), Pleocoma linsleyi (Linsley's Rain beetle), Pinus monophylla (Singleleaf pinyon), Pinus jeffreyi (Jeffrey pine), Aesculus californica (California buckeye), Abies concolor (White fir), Alnus rhombifolia (White alder), Quercus kelloggii (California black oak), Quercus douglasii (Blue oak), Opuntia basilaris var. treleasei (Bakersfield cactus), and Eschscholzia lemmonii kernensis (Tejon poppy). Please see the full report, South Coast Missing Linkages Project: A Linkage Design for the Tehachapi Connection (http://www.scwildlands.org/reports.aspx) for more information. 2. Santa Monica - Sierra Madre The Santa Monica-Sierra Madre Connection encompasses habitats between the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (south of the 101 Freeway) and Los Padres National Forest. The Linkage Design addresses the habitat and movement needs of 20 focal species including Puma concolor (Mountain lion), Taxidea taxus (American badger), Odocoileus hemionus (Mule deer), Sylvilagus bachmanni (Brush rabbit), Neotoma lepida (Desert woodrat), Lanius ludovicianus (Loggerhead shrike), Toxostoma redivivum (California thrasher), Melanerpes formicivorus (Acorn woodpecker), Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus (Cactus wren), Bufo boreas (Western toad), Lampropeltis getula (California kingsnake), Cnemidophoris tigris stejnegeri (Western whiptail), Oncorhynchus mykiss mykiss (Southern steelhead trout), Anuroctonus phaiodactylus (Scorpion), Odonata - Zygoptera spp. (Damselflies), Euphydryas chalcedona (Chalcedon checkerspot butterfly), Pogonomyrmex rugosus (Harvester ant), Juglans californica (California walnut), Quercus lobata (Valley oak), and Arctostaphylos glauca (Bigberry manzanita). Please see the full report, South Coast Missing Linkages Project: A Linkage Design for the Santa Monica-Sierra Madre Connection (http://www.scwildlands.org/reports.aspx) for more information. The 'Santa Monica - Sierra Madre' feature addresses two of the 15 priority linkages. 3. Sierra Madre - Castaic The Sierra Madre-Castaic Connection links the Sierra Madre Mountains of Los Padres National Forest and the Castaic Ranges (Liebre, Sawmill, and Sierra Pelona mountains) of the Angeles National Forest. The Linkage Design addresses the habitat and movement needs of 12 focal species, including Puma concolor (Mountain lion), Taxidea taxus (American badger), Odocoileus hemionus (Mule deer), Dipodomys agilis (Pacific kangaroo rat), Strix occidentalis occidentalis (California spotted owl), Melanerpes formicivorus (Acorn woodpecker), Clemmys marmorata (Western pond turtle), Thamnophis hammondii (Two-striped garter snake), Lampropeltis zonata (California mountain kingsnake), Ensatina eschscholtzii eschscholtzii (Monterey salamander), Arctonotus lucidus (Bear sphinx moth), and Pleocoma linsleyi (Rain beetle). Please see the full report, South Coast Missing Linkages Project: A Linkage Design for the Sierra Madre-Castaic Connection (http://www.scwildlands.org/reports.aspx) for more information. 4. San Gabriel - Castaic The San Gabriel-Castaic Connection links the San Gabriel and Castaic ranges of the Angeles National Forest. The Linkage Design addresses the habitat and movement needs of 15 focal species, including Puma concolor (Mountain lion), Taxidea taxus (American badger), Odocoileus hemionus (Mule deer), Dipodomys agilis (Pacific kangaroo rat), Strix occidentalis occidentalis (California spotted owl), Athene cunicularia (Burrowing owl), Toxostoma redivivum (California thrasher), Melanerpes formicivorus (Acorn woodpecker), Clemmys marmorata (Western pond turtle), Thamnophis hammondii (Two-striped garter snake), Lampropeltis zonata (California mountain kingsnake), Ensatina eschscholtzii eschscholtzii (Monterey salamander), Arctonotus lucidus (Bear sphinx moth), Lepidospartum squamatum (Scalebroom), and Juniperus californica (California juniper). Please see the full report, South Coast Missing Linkages Project: A Linkage Design for the San Gabriel-Castaic Connection (http://www.scwildlands.org/reports.aspx) for more information. 5. San Gabriel - San Bernardino The San Gabriel-San Bernardino Connection links the San Gabriel and San Bernardino ranges of the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests. The Linkage Design addresses the habitat and movement needs of 24 focal species, including Puma concolor (Mountain lion), Taxidea taxus (American badger), Ovis canadensis (Bighorn sheep), Odocoileus hemionus (Mule deer), Neotoma fuscipes macrotis (Dusky-footed woodrat), Dipodomys merriami parvus (San Bernardino kangaroo rat), Dipodomys agilis (Pacific kangaroo rat), Strix occidentalis occidentalis (California spotted owl), Oreortyx pictus (Mountain quail), Chamaea fasciata (Wrentit), Salpinctes obsoletus (Rock wren), Sitta pygmaea melanotis (Pygmy nuthatch), Masticophis lateralis lateralis (Chaparral whipsnake), Phrynosoma coronatum blainvillii (San Diego horned lizard), Hyla cadaverina (California treefrog), Rhinichthys osculus (Santa Ana speckled dace), Pepsis spp. (Tarantula hawk), Callophrys perplexa (Green hairstreak butterfly), Apodemia mormo (Metalmark butterfly), Eleodes armata (Desert skunk beetle), Rhaphiomidas acton (Giant flower-loving fly), Alnus rhombifolia (White alder), Artemisia californica (California sagebrush), and Dodecahema leptoceras (Slender-horned spineflower). Please see the full report, South Coast Missing Linkages Project: A Linkage Design for the San Gabriel-San Bernardino Connection (http://www.scwildlands.org/reports.aspx) for more information. 6. San Bernardino - San Jacinto The San Bernardino-San Jacinto Connection links the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains of the San Bernardino National Forest and the Badlands extending northwest from the San Jacinto Mountains. The Linkage Design addresses the habitat and movement needs of 23 focal species, including Puma concolor (Mountain lion), Taxidea taxus (American badger), Odocoileus hemionus (Mule deer), Ammospermophilus leucurus (Antelope ground squirrel), Neotoma macrotis (large-eared woodrat), Dipodomys merriami (Merriam's kangaroo rat), Dipodomys agilis (Pacific kangaroo rat), Perognathus longimembris (little pocket mouse), Strix occidentalis occidentalis (California spotted owl), Chamaea fasciata (Wrentit), Salpinctes obsoletus (Rock wren), Sitta pygmaea melanotis (Pygmy nuthatch), Crotalus mitchellii (Speckled rattlesnake), Masticophis lateralis (Chaparral whipsnake), Phrynosoma coronatum (Coast horned lizard), Hyla cadaverina (California treefrog), Pepsis spp. (Tarantula hawk), Callophrys perplexa (Green hairstreak butterfly), Apodemia mormo (Metalmark butterfly), Eleodes armata (Desert skunk beetle), Alnus rhombifolia (White alder), Artemisia californica (California sagebrush), and Dodecahema leptoceras (Slender-horned spineflower). Please see the full report, South Coast Missing Linkages Project: A Linkage Design for the San Bernardino-San Jacinto Connection (http://www.scwildlands.org/reports.aspx) for more information. 7. San Bernardino - Little San Bernardino The San Bernardino-Little San Bernardino Connection links the San Bernardino Mountains of San Bernardino National Forest and the Little San Bernardino Mountains of Joshua Tree National Park. The Linkage Design addresses the habitat and movement needs of 23 focal species, including Puma concolor (Mountain lion), Taxidea taxus (American badger), Ovis canadensis (Bighorn sheep), Odocoileus hemionus (Mule deer), Ammospermophilus leucurus (Antelope ground squirrel), Neotoma macrotis (Large-eared woodrat), Dipodomys merriami (Merriam's kangaroo rat), Dipodomys agilis (Pacific kangaroo rat), Perognathus longimembris (Little pocket mouse), Oreortyx pictus (Mountain quail), Chamaea fasciata (Wrentit), Salpinctes obsoletus (Rock wren), Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus (Cactus wren), Crotalus mitchellii (Speckled rattlesnake), Masticophis lateralis (Chaparral whipsnake), Phrynosoma coronatum (Coast horned lizard), Hyla cadaverina (California treefrog), Pepsis spp. (Tarantula hawk), Callophrys perplexa (Green hairstreak butterfly), Apodemia mormo (Metalmark butterfly), Eleodes armata (Desert skunk beetle), Alnus rhombifolia (White alder), and Yucca brevifolia (Joshua tree). Please see the full report, South Coast Missing Linkages Project: A Linkage Design for the San Bernardino-Little San Bernardino Connection (http://www.scwildlands.org/reports.aspx) for more information. 8. San Bernardino - Granite The San Bernardino-Granite Connection links the San Bernardino National Forest with lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management in the Granite, Ord, and Rodman Mountains. The Linkage Design addresses the habitat and movement needs of 14 focal species, including Taxidea taxus (American badger), Ovis canadensis (Bighorn sheep), Ammospermophilus leucurus (Antelope ground squirrel), Neotoma lepida (Desert woodrat), Dipodomys merriami (Merriam's kangaroo rat), Dipodomys agilis (Pacific kangaroo rat), Salpinctes obsoletus (Rock wren), Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus (Cactus wren), Crotalus mitchellii (Speckled rattlesnake), Pepsis spp. (Tarantula hawks), Callophrys perplexa (Green hairstreak butterfly), Apodemia mormo (Metalmark butterfly), Eleodes armata (Desert skunk beetle), and Yucca brevifolia (Joshua tree). Please see the full report, South Coast Missing Linkages Project: A Linkage Design for the San Bernardino-Granite Connection (http://www.scwildlands.org/reports.aspx) for more information. 9. Palomar - San Jacinto - Santa Rosa The Palomar-San Jacinto/Santa Rosa Connection links the Palomar Ranges of Cleveland National Forest, and the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains of San Bernardino National Forest and the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains National Monument. The Linkage Design addresses the habitat and movement needs of 17 focal species, including Puma concolor (Mountain lion), Taxidea taxus (American badger), Odocoileus hemionus (Mule deer), Dipodomys merriami collinus (Aguanga kangaroo rat), Strix occidentalis occidentalis (California spotted owl), Callipepla californica (California quail), Lanius ludovicianus (Loggerhead shrike), Chamaea fasciata (Wrentit), Salpinctes obsoletus (Rock wren), Masticophis lateralis (Chaparral whipsnake), Phrynosoma coronatum (Coast horned lizard), Clemmys marmorata (Western pond turtle), Bufo boreas (Western toad), Papilio eurymedon (Pale swallowtail), Euphydryas editha quino (Quino checkerspot ), and Yucca whipplei (Our Lord's candle). Please see the full report, South Coast Missing Linkages Project: A Linkage Design for the Palomar-San Jacinto/Santa Rosa Connection (http://www.scwildlands.org/reports.aspx) for more information. 10. Santa Ana - Palomar The Santa Ana-Palomar Connection links Cleveland National Forest and Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base lands in the Santa Ana Mountains and the Cleveland National Forest lands in the Palomar Mountains. The Linkage Design addresses the habitat and movement needs of 21 focal species, including Puma concolor (Mountain lion), Taxidea taxus (Badger), Neotoma fuscipes (Dusky-footed Woodrat), Aquila chrysaetos (Golden eagle), Dendroica petechia (Yellow warbler), Callipepla californica (California quail), Baeolophus inornatus (Oak titmouse), Crotalus rubber (Red diamond rattlesnake), Clemmys marmorata (Western pond turtle), Hyla cadaverina (California treefrog), Bufo boreas (Western toad), Oncorhynchus mykiss (Southern steelhead trout), Gila orcutti (Arroyo chub), Papilio eurymedon (Pale swallowtail), Speyeria callippe comstocki (Comstock's fritillary), Adelpha bredowii (California sister), Timema podura (Timema walkingstick), Limnanthes gracilis var parishii (Cuyamaca meadowfoam), Quercus engelmannii (Engelmann oak), Hesperoyucca whipplei (Yucca whipplei), and Arctostaphylos rainbowensis (Rainbow manzanita. Please see the full report, South Coast Missing Linkages Project: A Linkage Design for the Santa Ana-Palomar Connection (http://www.scwildlands.org/reports.aspx) for more information. 11. Peninsular - Borrego The Peninsular-Borrego Connection links Cleveland National Forest with Cuyamaca and Anza Borrego State Parks. The Linkage Design addresses the habitat and movement needs of 14 focal species, including Puma concolor (Mountain lion), Taxidea taxus (Badger), Ovis canadensis (Bighorn sheep), Odocoileus hemionus (Mule deer), Lepus californicus (Black-tailed jackrabbit), Aquila chrysaetos (Golden eagle), Ammodramus savannarum (Grasshopper sparrow), Branta bernicla (Black brant), Xantusia henshawi (Granite night lizard), Coleonyx switaki (Barefoot gecko), Philotes sonorensis (Sonoran blue butterfly), Euphydryas chalcedona (Chalcedon checkerspot butterfly), Dasymutilla coccinea (Velvet ant), and Alnus rhombifolia (White alder). Please see the full report, South Coast Missing Linkages Project: A Linkage Design for the Peninsular-Borrego Connection (http://www.scwildlands.org/reports.aspx) for more information.
Description: For more information about the creation and utilization of this data, please see the report A Linkage Network for the California Deserts at http://www.scwildlands.org/reports/Default.aspx
Copyright Text: Produced for the Bureau of Land Management and The Wildlands Conservancy. Produced by Science and Collaboration for Connected Wildlands, Fair Oaks, CA www.scwildlands.org and Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona http://oak.ucc.nau.edu/pb1/.
Description: For more information about the creation and utilization of this data, please see the report A Linkage Network for the California Deserts at http://www.scwildlands.org/reports/Default.aspx
Copyright Text: Produced for the Bureau of Land Management and The Wildlands Conservancy. Produced by Science and Collaboration for Connected Wildlands, Fair Oaks, CA www.scwildlands.org and Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona http://oak.ucc.nau.edu/pb1/.
Description: The Joshua Tree-Twentynine Palms Connections addresses the habitat and movement needs of 25 focal species across multiple taxonomic groups. For more information about the creation and utilization of this data, please see the report A Linkage Design for the Joshua Tree-Twentynine Palms Connection at http://www.scwildlands.org/reports/JT_TP_Connection.pdf
Copyright Text: Produced by Science and Collaboration for Connected Wildlands, Fair Oaks, CA www.scwildlands.org.
Description: The following methods apply for the Rocky Mountians and east. For Califonia methods see: https://omniscape.codefornature.org/#/analysis-tour. For the Pacific Northwest, the base flow was calculated using omniscape and the climate flow was using eastern methods. For more information see: https://www.conservationgateway.org/ConservationByGeography/NorthAmerica/UnitedStates/oregon/science/Documents/McRae_et_al_2016_PNW_CNS_Connectivity.pdfThe wall to wall results reveal how the human-modified landscape is configured. The results allow you to identify where population movements and potential range shifts may become concentrated or where they are well dispersed, and it is possbile to quantify the importance of an area by measuring how much flow passes through it and how concentrated that flow is. The four prevalent flow types found here each suggest a different conservation strategy: Diffuse flow: areas that are extremely intact and consequently facilitate high levels of dispersed flow that spreads out to follow many different and alternative pathways. A conservation aim might be to keep these areas intact and prevent the flow from becoming concentrated. This might be achievable through land management or broad-scale conservation easements. Concentrated flow: areas where large quantities of flow are concentrated through a narrow area. Because of their importance in maintaining flow across a larger network, these pinch points are good candidates for land conservation. Constrained flow: areas of low flow that are neither concentrated nor fully blocked but instead move across the landscape in a weak reticulated network. These areas present large conservation challanges. In some cases restoring a riparian network might end up concentrating the flow and creating a linkage that will be easier to maintain over time. Blocked/Low flow: areas where little flow gets through and is consequently deflected around these features. Some of these might be important restoration areas where restoring native vegetation or altering road infrastructure might reestablish a historic connection.In the national map we use the diffuse and concentated flow areas.To create a categorical classification of flow pattern, we applied the following method. First, we calculated the amount and the variation of flow in every local neighborhood (1000 acres) around every cell (The size of the neighborhood was determined by testing a variety of distances and picking the one that best captured flow pattern and still retained local detail). Next, within each neighborhood we calculated the mean amount of flow, and the variation in flow as indicated by the standard deviation. Areas that had high flow and a high standard deviation were considered “concentrated”because they not only channel a large amount of flow but are different from their surrounding cells. Areas that had above-average flow and low standard deviation were considered “diffuse”because they move a lot of flow but are similar to their neighboring cells. We divided the mean and standard deviation into 7 quantiles classes by area and analyzed the combinations to classify the wall-to-wall continuous grid.Climate FlowFor our final model, we weighted the regional flow model with the upslope, downslope and northward models to simulate species populations could flow through the natural landscape finding climate refuge both by moving up or down slopes and mostly in a northward direction. The goal was to approximate a species population expanding locally then northward as allowed by the anthropogenic resistance within its neighborhood. When combining the factors, a challenge was how to weight the influence of each factor in a way that most closely approximates the real world. We wanted to keep the emphasis on the areas that are important for regional flow, while boosting slightly the areas that channel slope-based and northward movements. We accomplished this by using the northward regional flow map as our based dataset and boosted the score of cells if they were important for upslope or downslope movement. For each of the two factors we took the areas that were above-average with respect to their factor. The areas for climate flow are sperate categories in the map.We created categorical classification of the climate flow patterns, using the similar method described previously for the regional flow. The amount of flow was calculated by looking at the mean flow within a 1000-acre circle of each cell (Figure 7.22 & Figure 7.23). We used the anthropogenic regional flow weighted towards northward movement (66%) as the base map and added in the areas of upslope and downslope flow wherever those areas had higher flow than the base flow. The outcome looks superficially like the regional flow map but has higher flow along gradients important for temperature and moisture relief. This allowed us to parse out more levels of diffuse flow and identify key climate pathways within the relatively intact landscape.
Copyright Text: The Nature Conservancy, Eastern Resource Office, Eastern Conservation Science (ECS), Boston, MA