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DANIELS SHERIDAN 



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BEA'VERHEAD " L 



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Figure 6. Light gray = areas occupied by black bears. Dark gray 

 encounter grizzly or black bears in Montana. 



areas with the potential to 



There is currently a great deal of discussion and work aimed at addressing and defining 

 "population linkage." The IGBC is currently creating two linkage-zone working groups to 

 further address this issue. Generally, a linkage zone is an area between two areas of habitat 

 where animals can live at certain seasons and where they can find the security they need to move 

 between these areas. Linkage zones are broad areas of seasonal habitat where animals can find 

 food, shelter, and security. The long-term health of populations of carnivores will benefit from 

 linkage and population interaction at broader levels. These linkage areas can likely serve 

 multiple carnivore species as well as other wildlife species such as ungulates. Dramatic changes 

 are currently occurring in the remaining possible linkage areas due to ongoing human 

 development and the time to maintain connection opportunities is growing short due to 

 development of some of these lands. A linkage zone, however, is not a "corridor". A corridor 

 implies an area just used for travel, however movement between ecosystems by carnivores rarely 

 if ever occurs this way. For carnivores to get between ecosystems they require habitats that can 

 support their feeding and behavioral needs in these intervening areas. As such, linkage zones are 

 areas that will support low-density carnivore population often as seasonal residents. There are 

 several models which attempt to address this issue, notably by American Wildlands "Corridors 

 of Life" and Craighead Environmental Research Institute as well as by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 



38 



