Q - What
is the Puente-Chino Hills Wildlife Corridor?
A - - This landscape (shown in blue in the photo from space, shown
opposite) lies at the juncture of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange,
and Riverside Counties. It serves as the visual backdrop for millions of
Californians. The Wildlife Corridor is a 31-mile long area of natural
lands that remain as open space and are still connected throughout this hillside
system. It stretches from the Whittier Narrows area near the 605 and 60 freeways
all the way to the Cleveland National Forest in Orange County south of the 91
freeway. Eighteen thousand acres are protected in public ownership but
thousands more are threatened by development that could sever the Corridor.
Click the link for a
Map of the Corridor.
Q - Why is it important to maintain connections
within the open space?
A - Animals migrate throughout the Corridor in search of food, mates, and "home"
territory. If the Corridor is severed by housing developments or new roads, the
wildlife will be unable to roam throughout the hills and will eventually die
out. The larger publicly owned and protected areas such as the Whittier Hills
Open Space, Powder Canyon and Schabarum Park, Chino Hills State Park, and the
Cleveland National Forest provide the main breeding grounds and "home"
territories. To insure the long-term health of the hillside ecosystem, these
parklands need to be permanently connected together with publicly owned open
space.
Q - What kind of animals are found in the Corridor?
A - Both common and unique species live in the Corridor. Some of the more common
animals include deer, coyotes, foxes, bobcats, hawks, owls, opossums, raccoons,
and gray squirrels. In addition, hundreds of other species including many rare
and/or endangered species live in this hillside system. It is part of an area known as a global
"Hot Spot of Biodiversity."
Q - What is a Hot Spot of Biodiversity?
A -Scientists have designated twenty worldwide "Hot Spots." These are places
rich in species diversity yet are threatened by imminent development. The
Puente-Chino Hills Wildlife Corridor is part of one of these Hot Spots -- second only to tropical rain forests.
Q - What is Habitat Fragmentation?
A - Habitat Fragmentation is defined as the division of natural
landscapes. This invasion into the natural environment leads to a loss of
both plant and animal species. Fragmentation can occur from something as
small as a trail or train tracks to something as large as a development, freeway
or commercial center.
Q - Why are there so many species in the Corridor?
A - This is an ancient landscape. No glaciers scraped their way into the terrain
here. Where glaciers have been present the bedrock has been scraped clean,
leaving it lifeless upon their retreat. The plants and
animals that live here have had a long time to evolve. That gift of time gave
them a chance to differentiate into an astonishing array of species. Throw in
the warm Mediterranean climate and you have both a crucible and an Eden for
unusual and rare creatures. The gift of geologic uncertainty (earthquakes)
provided them with many opportunities to change. This calliope of movement
created hills, mountains, and slopes that allowed plants and animals to move
around into new niches creating lots of endemic species (species found nowhere
else). For example, Iowa has no endemic species and California has over 2200.
Q - How do we know what types of animals live in the Corridor and where they
move?
A-Interested entities have also funded multi-year studies of mid-level
predators (coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, fox), avifauna (birds), and herpetofauna
(reptiles). Other studies are still being conducted on the various plant and
animal communities in the hills. Some of the results of these studies have been
compiled into Geographic Information System (GIS) maps. Groups like the Audubon
Society have information reaching back 50 years that document bird habitat and
migration paths.
There are very large underpasses that the animals can use at the 57 and 91
freeways. Colima Road also has an underpass (on the old Chevron property)
although it is somewhat narrow for optimal movement. Because Hacienda Road is
not a wide street it does not provide the same barrier as larger streets. In
addition there is a small culvert under the road that some small animals use.
The most challenging crossing was at Harbor Blvd. The width, volume of traffic and
speed on Harbor caused many animals to be killed each year. A new undercrossing
was just completed in June 2006. Wildlife biologists predicted it would take up
to six months for deer to use the underpass. However, within nine days of its
official opening, deer were photographed moving through it. Since then a number
of other wildlife including coyote, raccoons and rabbits have been spotted using
the underpass.
