Corridor Analysis



A corridor analysis is used to determine an "optimal corridor" between two points.

There are many uses of corridor analysis. Most commonly, corridor analysis is used in wildlife studies (such as habitat modeling) and conservation planning. It can also be used in environmental and conservation studies to help conservationists recognize the optimal corridor rather than just a single path between two areas of habitat. In urban environments, corridor analysis is often used to determine the best paths for transportation or other utilities. For example, in urban planning, it is used to project areas of high capacity transportation and the best routes for dealing with increases in the use of transportation routes.

Corridor Analysis in ArcGIS
Corridor analysis involves the use of "map algebra". It involves combining two or more raster sets that analyze a least cost path from each cell to a "source" site. Corridor analysis returns a raster in which the sum of the cost distances (accumulative costs) for each of the input cost rasters is calculated for each cell location. The sum of the raster costs identifies for each cell location the least-cost path from one source to another source that passes through the cell location. It calculates the sum of accumulative costs from the input accumulative cost rasters.

Cost Path
The corridor tool is related to the cost path analysis tool, which only returns an output raster with the least-cost paths. You could use the corridor tool in ArcMap to connect two patches of deer habitat in a conservation plan and want to conserve the optimal corridor for the deer instead of just buffering a single path.