Master’s Capstone Project

While earning my Master’s in Environmental Science and Management, I completed a year long capstone project focused on understanding mountain lion habitat connectivity in California to inform conservation efforts. Below you will find our final presentation and more information about our research.

The California landscape has been fragmented by urban development, infrastructure, and agriculture. Maintaining connectivity between areas of wildlife habitat is important for the viability of many long-ranging species, such as the mountain lion (Puma concolor). Mountain lion populations are highly susceptible to habitat fragmentation, and face reduced access to resources and decreased genetic diversity. This study explores the habitat connectivity between the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve (JLDP), a 24,460-acre protected property owned by The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and neighboring protected areas to identify potential pathways of movement for mountain lions along the Central and Southern California coast.