Black Bear Corridor Analysis in Coronado National Forest

   In this analysis, I focused on identifying potential movement corridors for black bears between two protected areas in the Coronado National Forest. Given the importance of maintaining wildlife connectivity and ensuring safe passage for black bears, I employed GIS to create a corridor model that facilitates their movement. The analysis considered various environmental and anthropogenic factors to determine the most suitable paths for the bears.

   The corridor analysis involved several key steps. First, I reclassified the roads, elevation, and land cover datasets based on their suitability for black bear movement. Roads were categorized by their distance, with areas further from roads being more suitable. Elevation was reclassified to reflect the bears' preference for mid-elevation areas, which offer the best combination of food sources and cover. Land cover types were also evaluated, prioritizing forested areas and other vegetation types preferred by black bears.

   Next, I combined these reclassified rasters into a habitat suitability model using a weighted overlay approach. This model was then inverted to create a cost surface, where higher suitability areas had lower travel costs. Using this cost surface, I performed a corridor analysis to identify the optimal paths connecting the two protected areas. The final map layout highlights these corridors, showing the most favorable routes for black bear movement through the landscape. This analysis not only aids in wildlife conservation efforts but also underscores the value of GIS in ecological planning and habitat management.

   The resulting corridor map provides valuable insights into the connectivity between protected areas, ensuring that conservation strategies can be effectively implemented to support the black bear population in the Coronado National Forest!