Joining fragmented ecosystems Wildlife corridoors benefit fragmented ecosystems, according to this large-scale study.

The researchers also tested the effect corridors had on seed dispersal by birds. After marking thousands of seeds in the central patch with a sticky powder visible under florescent light, the scientists analyzed bird droppings containing ingested seeds to track the animals' travels. According to the report, nearly 20 percent more florescent fecal samples were collected in connected patches than in isolated ones, indicating that the corridors facilitate the birds' movement.

In other words, follow the trail of shit, and soon you will find the elephant (an old, wise and utterly meaningless Masai saying, I think!) This brings to my mind something deer hunters have been doing for a while. Knowing that deer, like humans, are lazy and will use man-made corridoors and paths readily, hunter-conservationists who manage hunting properties have been known to create trails connecting previously fragmented agricultural lands and forests. The result, a boom in whitetail deer populations that in most states, even liberal bag limits and extended hunting seasons have not been able to manage. This is also why whitetails thrive in suburban America. To whitetail deer, a suburban subdivision is essentially a collection of well-connected (and tasty) gardens. Backyards connect to each other, and well-kept trails connect to conservatories and nearby agricultural land or public forests. This ease of egress provides whitetails with the unparalleled opportunity to broaden their range into previously inaccessible habitats. There is a whole world of mystery that lives in an almost parallel universe to ours, and to which we pay little or no attention. Most times, our only interaction with this world is the trail of roadkill we leave behind on our way to work. Pity, that...