Chapter 3 - Natural Resources - Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan [March 2012 - Update]
3.3. LANDSCAPE LINKAGES AND WILDLIFE CORRIDORS
Landscape (or habitat) linkages are open space natural areas that provide connectivity
among and between habitat patches, and provide locations for native plants and seasonal or
year-round habitat for wildlife. Linkages may also provide wildlife corridors (see below)
for the movement of individuals or populations between habitat areas.
The identification, conservation, and protection of landscape linkages and wildlife
corridors are essential to the long-term sustainability of many species in the southern
California region. The increasing fragmentation of open space areas by urbanization has
created small, isolated “islands” of habitat. Isolated populations marooned on islands of
fragmented habitat show elevated rates of
extinction as they succumb to environmental
and genetic perturbations (Luke et al. 2004). In
the absence of habitat linkages and wildlife
corridors that allow movement to adjoining
open space areas, various studies have
concluded that some species, especially larger
and more mobile mammals, will not likely
persist over time (MacArthur & Wilson 1967;
Soule 1987; Harris & Gallagher 1989; Bennett
1990). Corridors connecting the larger patches
of natural habitat areas and open spaces mitigate
the effects of this fragmentation, to some
degree, by: 1) allowing gene flow (interbreeding
and genetic exchange) between otherwise small
and genetically isolated populations; 2)
providing escape routes from fire, predators,
human disturbances, and other potentially
catastrophic events that could result in local
extinction; and 3) serving as travel routes for
individual animals as they move within their
home ranges in search of food, water, mates,
and other essential needs (Noss 1983; Farhig &
FIGURE 3-42. TRACKED MOUNTAIN
LION WILDLIFE CORRIDOR UTILIZATION
Merriam 1985; Simberloff & Cox 1987; Harris
& Gallagher 1989).
(SOURCE: BRENNAN 2009)
The largely undeveloped, contiguous stretches
of habitat on Camp Pendleton function as one of the last remaining landscape linkages, and
the only remaining coastal linkage, between the few remaining open spaces in Los Angeles
and Orange Counties to the north, Riverside County to the northeast, and northern San
Diego County to the south (Figure 3-41 shows utilization of an existing wildlife corridor by
a radio collard mountain lion while traveling throughout its home-range from the Santa
Ana Mountains southwest to the coast on Base, and highlights areas used as travel routes
that are unpreserved wildlife corridors northeast of the Base (Brennan 2009). While Camp
Pendleton may be large enough to maintain self-sustaining populations of some species for
a reasonably long period of time, the long-term sustainability of most species (both within
the region and on Base) will likely be threatened if habitat linkages and wildlife corridors
Chapter 3 – Natural Resources 3-83