Travel Management Planning for Wildlife with a Case Study on the Mojave Desert Tortoise

Abstract Roads are important drivers of habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation that affect global biodiversity. Detrimental effects roads include direct mortality individual animals, spread habitat-altering invasive plants, loss demographic genetic connectivity wildlife populations. Various measures address the negative on wildlife. However, most strategies for minimizing or mitigating focused actual themselves rather than collective travel network across landscapes. We summarized a growing body literature has documented road density populations benefits associated with lower densities. This supports application limits as viable tool managing cumulative effects. Based these examples, we recommend densities, including all linear features used travel, less 0.6 km/km2 general target management in areas where conservation is priority. Lower densities may be necessary particularly sensitive areas, whereas higher appropriate to landscape-level connectivity. Public policy funding also needed challenges enforcing off-highway vehicle regulations. In applying this overview case study Mojave desert tortoise Gopherus agassizii, found plans species' range lack considerations declined within more 0.75 km/km2. From this, provide several recommendations specific beginning identifying entire areas. Specific actions setting depend site-specific biological context, instance relative quality proximity designated addition, increasing law enforcement public outreach will improve compliance regulations, installing tortoise-exclusion fencing along highways reduce kills allow reoccupy depleted adjacent highways. Implementation would prospects reversing population declines.