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A decision support tool for evaluating the wildlife corridor design and conservation performance using analytic network process (ANP)

Abstract:

A recent issue highlights the need for a wildlife corridor to mitigate habitat fragmentation and biodiversity degradation caused by intensive urbanization in the country, such as the development of infrastructure, roads, and highways. Indeed, the issues of frequent road and vehicle-animals collisions are ever-increasing in urban corridors. As a result, flora and fauna populations can become isolated, leading to an unbalanced ecosystem. This study developed the Wildlife Corridor Design and Conservation (WCDC) index, assessment model. The study has investigated the wildlife corridor design and conservation features through a systematic literature review, clustered them into three criteria (biophysical, structural, and environmental designs) and twenty-one sub-criteria. The study applied the Analytic Network Process method to measure the weights of features; habitat preservation (WC1.1 = 0.280), species varieties control (WC1.2.=0187), and conduit for movement (WC1.3. = 0.100) play critical roles in wildlife corridor design and conservation. The Weighted Sum Method verified the WCDC model through a case study (Red Earth overpass, Canada). The model assigns certification labels (Gold, Silver, Bronze, or not-certified); accordingly, it ranked the evaluated site as Gold, which means the Red Earth overpass performs intimately in biophysical, structural, and environmental preservation of mammal habitat. The study conducted regression analysis for model validation, determining a significant association between the base and case-study models.