Terrestrial road passage structure impacts, CT River Watershed

This dataset is a component of a complete package of products from the Connect the Connecticut project. Connect the Connecticut is a collaborative effort to identify shared priorities for conserving the Connecticut River Watershed for future generations, considering the value of fish and wildlife species and the natural ecosystems they inhabit. Click here to download the full data package, including all documentation.

This dataset represents opportunities to restore connectivity for terrestrial wildlife building road passage structures. Specifically, this product tabulates the results of a model in which each 300 meter segment of road outside of urban centers, and excluding minor roads receiving relatively little traffic, has a passage structure installed (virtually). Next, we (virtually) reduce the value of the terrestrial barrier and traffic setting variables by 90% for the road cells associated with the passage structure, one at a time. The predicted improvement in connectedness from the passage structure is then recorded. The delta, or difference, in the connectedness score, before and after the installation of the passage structure for each cell within the affected neighborhood, is computed and multiplied by the average index of ecological integrity (IEI) of the affected neighborhood. The weighting by IEI emphasizes the potential ecological benefits of a road passage structure in an area that is otherwise in good condition but depressed by the road barrier.