New Report: Experts Say Roads, Rails, and Canals are Threatening Asian Elephant Survival

An international group of more than 25 elephant biologists and infrastructure ecologists released a report today with an urgent message: All efforts to avoid key Asian elephant habitats and their migration corridors need to be made when developing linear infrastructure like roads, railways, and canals. If this is not possible, wildlife crossings are key to providing safe passage for this endangered species. The report comes in response to an explosion of new linear infrastructure across Asia that is increasingly blocking elephant movement and leading to deadly collisions.

Center Completes USAID-funded Project to Advance Wildlife-Friendly Linear Infrastructure in Asia

Asia is home to many iconic wildlife species—such as Asian elephants, Bengal tigers, and Sumatran orangutans—along with some of the world’s richest biodiversity and most complex ecosystems. Yet, as Asia experiences unprecedented economic growth, the region’s natural heritage is threatened by the rapid expansion of linear infrastructure like roads, railways, and power lines. That’s why, over the last 14 months, the nonprofit Center for Large Landscape Conservation has helped USAID build a knowledge base to support Asian countries in planning wildlife-friendly linear infrastructure.

Reports Offer Guidance on Why and How to Build Wildlife Crossings

Wildlife-vehicle collisions take a toll on our environment and society in many ways. They endanger wildlife populations, cause human injuries and deaths, and cost US taxpayers billions of dollars a year. Well-designed wildlife road-crossing structures are a proven solution but are not without challenges. Two reports recently published by the US Forest Service—with contributions from Center for Large Landscape Conservation staff—address these challenges while providing useful information on costs, benefits, and planning of crossing structures. 

Protected Planet Report: 7.84% of Land is Protected and Connected

Protected lands and freshwaters cover approximately a sixth of the world’s surface according to the new Protected Planet Report 2020. This online publication provides insights on the status of global progress toward achieving the goal of protecting at least 17% of land by 2020. It also highlights opportunities for goals and actions toward halting and reversing the biodiversity crisis before 2050. The Center is proud to have contributed to this leading global assessment on the state of protected and conserved areas around the world.

Connecting Leopards, Connecting People: The Central Asian Ecological Connectivity Initiative

The Center is increasingly engaging with partners across Central Asia to build capacity, promote research, and implement connectivity conservation efforts in the countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. We are proud to be part of growing collaboration across this globally important biodiversity hotspot that has, among other progress, yielded important scientific evidence about the presence of an endangered and charismatic species—the Persian leopard—in Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.

Preventing Future Pandemics Through Conservation

The Center for Large Landscape Conservation announces the publication of a journal article presenting guidance on preventing another global pandemic through conservation. Co-authored by a multidisciplinary team of experts including the Center’s President Gary Tabor, the article makes a case that preventing future pandemics may come down to ecological solutions, not medical ones.

Researchers Examine the Intersection of Human and Wildlife Safety on a Major Road Network

Most motorists would agree that roads and animals can be a dangerous mix. Crashes involving wildlife are often deadly for animals and, in some cases, may also cause serious injury or death to humans. Efforts to reduce the risk of animal-vehicle collisions most often focus on human safety, but what if transportation officials and conservation scientists worked together to address dangers to both people and wildlife?

Welcome to Large Landscape News

With a mission to conserve life on earth by reconnecting our natural world, The Center for Large Landscape Conservation is the hub of a growing global movement to reverse the fragmentation of the earth’s landscapes and restore nature’s resilience to climate change.

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