Green Corridor, Photograph from Flickr
Terrestrial Wildlife Habitat Cores and Corridors in New Jersey (CHANJ)
The CHANJ project represents a strategic plan for wildlife conservation that delineates and provides a common vision for a connected statewide landscape that, if protected and appropriately managed, will restore and maintain gene flow between viable breeding populations of terrestrial, native wildlife species, helping to ensure their long-term viability in New Jersey.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is responsible for identifying and protecting these important habitat cores and corridors through its Natural Heritage Program. This program works to identify and protect rare and endangered plant and animal species, as well as their habitats, throughout the state. The NJDEP also works with private landowners, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders to promote conservation and restoration efforts in these areas.
The CHANJ map was created as a tool to support wildlife conservation and habitat management efforts in New Jersey, and it provides valuable information on their conservation status and management recommendations. Shown in the map is the Core (Green), which is the primary locations where wildlife species breed, feed, and shelter. These habitats are typically larger and more contiguous areas of land that provide essential resources for wildlife survival. This includes forests, wetlands, grasslands, and other natural landscapes. The shades of brown on the map are the corridors, which are rated 1 through 5, with 1 being ways of easier movement and 5 being more difficult ways of movement. The corridors are the routes or connections between core habitats that enable wildlife species to move between areas of suitable habitat. These corridors include rivers, streams, ridgelines, roads, bridges, or crossings.
The study found that New Jersey’s forests and wetlands contain important core and habitats for many wildlife species, including threatened and endangered species such as the bobcat, wood turtle, and bog turtle. It also identified important corridors that connect these core habitats, which are essential for maintaining genetic diversity and allowing for the movement of wildlife between different areas. The results highlight the need to protect and manage the identified core habitats and corridors to ensure the long-term survival of wildlife.
Terrestrial Wildlife Habitats Cores and Corridors in New Jersey are a critical component of the state’s efforts to conserve its rich biodiversity and support healthy ecosystems. These habitats play a vital role in providing refuge, food, and mating opportunities for a wide range of wildlife species, including endangered and threatened species. These results can be used to guide land-use planning and development decisions to avoid further fragmentation and destruction of wildlife habitat
About the Data Source:
The Terrestrial Wildlife Habitat Cores and Corridors in New Jersey (CHANJ) map was created using a combination of GIS analysis, field data collection, and expert knowledge. The collection of data gathered information on various characteristics such as vegetation type, topography, hydrology, and land use patterns. The data is collected through various ways such as remote sensing imagery, field surveys, and existing maps and databases. The collected data was then analyzed using GIS software to identify important habitats and areas of high biodiversity. The analysis considered factors such as size and connectivity of habitats, the presence of rare of threatened species, and the overall health and quality of the habitats.
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