Jumpstart Nature

#3: The Age of Connectivity: How Wildlife Crossings Help Animals and People

Oct 16, 2023

Discover the impact of highways on wildlife, highlighting the importance of habitat connectivity. Learn about the dangers of wildlife crossings and the economic impact of collisions. Explore how roads disrupt wildlife movements and genetic diversity. Uncover the effects of light and noise pollution on wildlife connectivity. Delve into shifting baseline syndrome and the changing perceptions of biodiversity.

31:51

Creator website

Episode guests

Robert Rock

Beth Pratt

Ben Goldfarb

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Habitat fragmentation by roads impedes species movement and genetic diversity, impacting ecosystem health.

Efforts like wildlife crossings and reduced light pollution are vital in restoring connectivity and preserving biodiversity.

Deep dives

Habitat Connectivity Is Essential for Wildlife Health

Ensuring animals and plants can move freely between habitats is crucial for genetic diversity and ecosystem health. Habitat fragmentation caused by roads has severe consequences, hindering species movement to find mates or necessary resources. This leads to genetic stagnation and increased encounters between wildlife and humans, resulting in population decline and ecosystem breakdown.

Introduction

2min

Preserving Habitat Connectivity for Wildlife Survival

4min

Wildlife Crossing Dangers and Economic Impact of Collisions

2min

Impact of Roads on Wildlife and Ecosystems

5min

Impacts of Light and Noise Pollution on Wildlife Connectivity

15min

Exploring Generational Changes in Biodiversity and Shifting Baseline Syndrome

4min

Send us a text

Human society is more connected than ever. Between mobile phones and internet applications, we can connect with each other instantaneously, around the globe.

And more traditionally, the United States alone is home to nearly 4 million miles of roads, structures which, for many of us, have only served to enhance our sense of connectedness to the cities we live in, to our families and friends, and to the larger world around us. Yet, these same roads that connect people have the opposite effect to the natural world, extracting an extreme toll on the plants and animals around us, and in many unexpected ways.

And roads and highways are just the tip of the iceberg. Join us as we unravel the many complex dimensions of wildlife connectivity while revealing the surprising toll that human activity has inflicted on the movement of species. Join your guide, Griff Griffith, as he is helped by experts Ben Goldfarb, Beth Pratt, and Robert Rock, who will also teach us how we can help restore essential links while supporting the health of the living beings around us.

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