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Demystifying ecological connectivity for actionable spatial conservation planning. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 37:1079-1091. [PMID: 36182406 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Connectivity underpins the persistence of life; it needs to inform biodiversity conservation decisions. Yet, when prioritising conservation areas and developing actions, connectivity is not being operationalised in spatial planning. The challenge is the translation of flows associated with connectivity into conservation objectives that lead to actions. Connectivity is nebulous, it can be abstract and mean different things to different people, making it difficult to include in conservation problems. Here, we show how connectivity can be included in mathematically defining conservation planning objectives. We provide a path forward for linking connectivity to high-level conservation goals, such as increasing species' persistence. We propose ways to design spatial management areas that gain biodiversity benefit from connectivity.
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Hodgson JA, Randle Z, Shortall CR, Oliver TH. Where and why are species' range shifts hampered by unsuitable landscapes? GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:4765-4774. [PMID: 35590459 PMCID: PMC9540991 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
There is widespread concern that species will fail to track climate change if habitat is too scarce or insufficiently connected. Targeted restoration has been advocated to help species adapt, and a "conductance" metric has been proposed, based on simulation studies, to predict effective habitat configurations. However, until now there is very little empirical evidence on how the configuration of habitat is affecting expansion at species' cool range margins. We analysed the colonisation events that have occurred in continuously monitored trap locations for 54 species of southerly distributed moths in Britain between 1985 and 2011. We tested whether the time until colonisation was affected by attributes of each species, and of intervening landcover and climate between the trap and the baseline distribution (1965-1985). For woodland species, the time until colonisation of new locations was predicted by the "conductance" of woodland habitat, and this relationship was general, regardless of species' exact dispersal distances and habitat needs. This shows that contemporary range shifts are being influenced by habitat configuration as well as simple habitat extent. For species associated with farmland or suburban habitats, colonisation was significantly slower through landscapes with a high variance in elevation and/or temperature. Therefore, it is not safe to assume that such relatively tolerant species face no geographical barriers to range expansion. We thus elucidate how species' attributes interact with landscape characteristics to create highly heterogeneous patterns of shifting at cool range margins. Conductance, and other predictors of range shifts, can provide a foundation for developing coherent conservation strategies to manage range shifts for entire communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny A. Hodgson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and BehaviourUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | | | | | - Tom H. Oliver
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of ReadingReadingUK
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3
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Mancini F, Hodgson JA, Isaac NJB. Co-designing an Indicator of Habitat Connectivity for England. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.892987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Landscapes have been drastically transformed by human activities, generally resulting in the loss of semi-natural habitat. In the United Kingdom, wildlife habitat mainly consists of small patches of semi-natural habitat that are poorly connected to each other. In May 2019 the United Kingdom Government published an outcome indicator framework for measuring progress against the goals and outcomes of the 25 Year Environment Plan (YEP) for England. The indicator of the Quantity, Quality and Connectivity of Habitats (D1) is one of seven indicators within the Wildlife theme and it follows the principle of making areas of semi-natural habitat “more, bigger, better and joined up.” In this study, we describe the process of co-designing the connectivity metric for indicator D1. In consultation with experts and stakeholders we selected three candidate landscape connectivity metrics to produce the indicator. The first metric comes from a suite of rules of thumb for practitioners and it is the proportion of habitat patches in the landscape that have a nearest neighbor ≤ 1 km away. The second metric is a habitat fragmentation index from the Natural England National Biodiversity Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Tool (NBCCVAT). The third and final metric is from the software Condatis and it represents the ability of a species to move through a landscape. We tested each metric on a set of simulated landscapes representing different levels of habitat addition strategies and different spatial configurations. We asked if the metrics are able to detect changes in the connectivity of each of these landscapes after habitat addition. Two of the three metrics (NBCCVAT and Condatis) performed well and were sensitive to change. They both increased as the total extent of habitat increased and each showed particular sensitivity to one spatial arrangement over the other. Given these results, one or both of these metrics could be used to produce the indicator. We discuss the implications of using one or both of the metrics and highlight the fundamental choices that need to be made to produce the indicator.
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Van Moorter B, Kivimäki I, Noack A, Devooght R, Panzacchi M, Hall KR, Leleux P, Saerens M. Accelerating advances in landscape connectivity modeling with the
ConScape
library. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bram Van Moorter
- Centre for Conservation Biology Department of Biology Norweign University of Science and Technology Norway
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5
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Condro AA, Syartinilia, Higuchi H, Mulyani YA, Raffiudin R, Rusniarsyah L, Setiawan Y, Prasetyo LB. Climate change leads to range contraction for Japanese population of the Oriental Honey-Buzzards: Implications for future conservation strategies. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
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Karelus DL, Geary BW, Harveson LA, Harveson PM. Movement ecology and space-use by mountain lions in West Texas. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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7
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Braasch JE, Di Santo LN, Tarble ZJ, Prasifka JR, Hamilton JA. Testing for evolutionary change in restoration: A genomic comparison between ex situ, native, and commercial seed sources of Helianthus maximiliani. Evol Appl 2021; 14:2206-2220. [PMID: 34603493 PMCID: PMC8477598 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Globally imperiled ecosystems often depend upon collection, propagation, and storage of seed material for use in restoration. However, during the restoration process demographic changes, population bottlenecks, and selection can alter the genetic composition of seed material, with potential impacts for restoration success. The evolutionary outcomes associated with these processes have been demonstrated using theoretical and experimental frameworks, but no study to date has examined their impact on the seed material maintained for conservation and restoration. In this study, we compare genomic variation across seed sources used in conservation and restoration for the perennial prairie plant Helianthus maximiliani, a key component of restorations across North American grasslands. We compare individuals sourced from contemporary wild populations, ex situ conservation collections, commercially produced restoration material, and two populations selected for agronomic traits. Overall, we observed that ex situ and contemporary wild populations exhibited similar genomic composition, while four of five commercial populations and selected lines were differentiated from each other and other seed source populations. Genomic differences across seed sources could not be explained solely by isolation by distance nor directional selection. We did find evidence of sampling effects for ex situ collections, which exhibited significantly increased coancestry relative to commercial populations, suggesting increased relatedness. Interestingly, commercially sourced seed appeared to maintain an increased number of rare alleles relative to ex situ and wild contemporary seed sources. However, while commercial seed populations were not genetically depauperate, the genomic distance between wild and commercially produced seed suggests differentiation in the genomic composition could impact restoration success. Our results point toward the importance of genetic monitoring of seed sources used for conservation and restoration as they are expected to be influenced by the evolutionary processes that contribute to divergence during the restoration process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph E. Braasch
- Department of Biological SciencesNorth Dakota State UniversityFargoNDUSA
| | - Lionel N. Di Santo
- Department of Biological SciencesNorth Dakota State UniversityFargoNDUSA
| | - Zachary J. Tarble
- Department of Biological SciencesNorth Dakota State UniversityFargoNDUSA
- Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research CenterUSDA‐ARSFargoNDUSA
| | | | - Jill A. Hamilton
- Department of Biological SciencesNorth Dakota State UniversityFargoNDUSA
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Travers TJP, Alison J, Taylor SD, Crick HQP, Hodgson JA. Habitat patches providing south-north connectivity are under-protected in a fragmented landscape. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211010. [PMID: 34428962 PMCID: PMC8385378 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
As species' ranges shift to track climate change, conservationists increasingly recognize the need to consider connectivity when designating protected areas (PAs). In fragmented landscapes, some habitat patches are more important than others in maintaining connectivity, and methods are needed for their identification. Here, using the Condatis methodology, we model range expansion through an adaptation of circuit theory. Specifically, we map 'flow' through 16 conservation priority habitat networks in England, quantifying how patches contribute to functional South-North connectivity. We also explore how much additional connectivity could be protected via a connectivity-led protection procedure. We find high-flow patches are often left out of existing PAs; across 12 of 16 habitat networks, connectivity protection falls short of area protection by 13.6% on average. We conclude that the legacy of past protection decisions has left habitat-specialist species vulnerable to climate change. This situation may be mirrored in many countries which have similar habitat protection principles. Addressing this requires specific planning tools that can account for the directions species may shift. Our connectivity-led reserve selection procedure efficiently identifies additional PAs that prioritize connectivity, protecting a median of 40.9% more connectivity in these landscapes with just a 10% increase in area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J P Travers
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, Merseyside L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Jamie Alison
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Environment Centre Wales, Deiniol Road, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK
| | | | | | - Jenny A Hodgson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, Merseyside L69 7ZB, UK
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Predicting Hotspots and Prioritizing Protected Areas for Endangered Primate Species in Indonesia under Changing Climate. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10020154. [PMID: 33672036 PMCID: PMC7919460 DOI: 10.3390/biology10020154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Primates play an essential role in human life and its ecosystem. However, Indonesian primates have suffered many threats due to climate change and altered landscapes that lead to extinction. Therefore, primate conservation planning and strategies are important in maintaining their population. We quantified how extensively the protected areas overlapped primate hotspots and how it changes under mitigation and worst-case scenarios of climate change. Finally, we provide protected areas recommendations based on species richness and land-use changes under the worst-case scenario for Indonesian primate conservation planning and management options. Abstract Indonesia has a large number of primate diversity where a majority of the species are threatened. In addition, climate change is conservation issues that biodiversity may likely face in the future, particularly among primates. Thus, species-distribution modeling was useful for conservation planning. Herein, we present protected areas (PA) recommendations with high nature-conservation importance based on species-richness changes. We performed maximum entropy (Maxent) to retrieve species distribution of 51 primate species across Indonesia. We calculated species-richness change and range shifts to determine the priority of PA for primates under mitigation and worst-case scenarios by 2050. The results suggest that the models have an excellent performance based on seven different metrics. Current primate distributions occupied 65% of terrestrial landscape. However, our results indicate that 30 species of primates in Indonesia are likely to be extinct by 2050. Future primate species richness would be also expected to decline with the alpha diversity ranging from one to four species per 1 km2. Based on our results, we recommend 54 and 27 PA in Indonesia to be considered as the habitat-restoration priority and refugia, respectively. We conclude that species-distribution modeling approach along with the categorical species richness is effectively applicable for assessing primate biodiversity patterns.
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10
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Williams SH, Scriven SA, Burslem DFRP, Hill JK, Reynolds G, Agama AL, Kugan F, Maycock CR, Khoo E, Hastie AYL, Sugau JB, Nilus R, Pereira JT, Tsen SLT, Lee LY, Juiling S, Hodgson JA, Cole LES, Asner GP, Evans LJ, Brodie JF. Incorporating connectivity into conservation planning for the optimal representation of multiple species and ecosystem services. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2020; 34:934-942. [PMID: 31840279 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Conservation planning tends to focus on protecting species' ranges or landscape connectivity but seldom both-particularly in the case of diverse taxonomic assemblages and multiple planning goals. Therefore, information on potential trade-offs between maintaining landscape connectivity and achieving other conservation objectives is lacking. We developed an optimization approach to prioritize the maximal protection of species' ranges, ecosystem types, and forest carbon stocks, while also including habitat connectivity for range-shifting species and dispersal corridors to link protected area. We applied our approach to Sabah, Malaysia, where the state government mandated an increase in protected-area coverage of approximately 305,000 ha but did not specify where new protected areas should be. Compared with a conservation planning approach that did not incorporate the 2 connectivity features, our approach increased the protection of dispersal corridors and elevational connectivity by 13% and 21%, respectively. Coverage of vertebrate and plant species' ranges and forest types were the same whether connectivity was included or excluded. Our approach protected 2% less forest carbon and 3% less butterfly range than when connectivity features were not included. Hence, the inclusion of connectivity into conservation planning can generate large increases in the protection of landscape connectivity with minimal loss of representation of other conservation targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara H Williams
- Division of Biological Sciences and Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, U.S.A
| | - Sarah A Scriven
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, U.K
| | - David F R P Burslem
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Cruickshank Building, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, U.K
| | - Jane K Hill
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, U.K
| | - Glen Reynolds
- South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Agnes L Agama
- South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Frederick Kugan
- Sabah Forestry Department, P.O. Box 1407, 90715, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Colin R Maycock
- International Tropical Forestry, Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia, Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Eyen Khoo
- Forest Research Centre, Sabah Forestry Department, P.O. Box 1407, 90715, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Alexander Y L Hastie
- Forest Research Centre, Sabah Forestry Department, P.O. Box 1407, 90715, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - John B Sugau
- Forest Research Centre, Sabah Forestry Department, P.O. Box 1407, 90715, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Reuben Nilus
- Forest Research Centre, Sabah Forestry Department, P.O. Box 1407, 90715, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Joan T Pereira
- Forest Research Centre, Sabah Forestry Department, P.O. Box 1407, 90715, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Sandy L T Tsen
- International Tropical Forestry, Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia, Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Leung Y Lee
- International Tropical Forestry, Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia, Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Suzika Juiling
- International Tropical Forestry, Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia, Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Jenny A Hodgson
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, U.K
| | - Lydia E S Cole
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, U.K
| | - Gregory P Asner
- Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science, The Biodesign Institute C, Arizona State University, 1001 S. McAllister Ave., P.O. Box 878001, Tempe, AZ, 85287, U.S.A
| | - Luke J Evans
- Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science, The Biodesign Institute C, Arizona State University, 1001 S. McAllister Ave., P.O. Box 878001, Tempe, AZ, 85287, U.S.A
| | - Jedediah F Brodie
- Division of Biological Sciences and Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, U.S.A
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11
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Scriven SA, Carlson KM, Hodgson JA, McClean CJ, Heilmayr R, Lucey JM, Hill JK. Testing the benefits of conservation set-asides for improved habitat connectivity in tropical agricultural landscapes. J Appl Ecol 2019; 56:2274-2285. [PMID: 31762491 PMCID: PMC6853203 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Habitat connectivity is important for tropical biodiversity conservation. Expansion of commodity crops, such as oil palm, fragments natural habitat areas, and strategies are needed to improve habitat connectivity in agricultural landscapes. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) voluntary certification system requires that growers identify and conserve forest patches identified as High Conservation Value Areas (HCVAs) before oil palm plantations can be certified as sustainable. We assessed the potential benefits of these conservation set-asides for forest connectivity.We mapped HCVAs and quantified their forest cover in 2015. To assess their contribution to forest connectivity, we modelled range expansion of forest-dependent populations with five dispersal abilities spanning those representative of poor dispersers (e.g. flightless insects) to more mobile species (e.g. large birds or bats) across 70 plantation landscapes in Borneo.Because only 21% of HCVA area was forested in 2015, these conservation set-asides currently provide few connectivity benefits. Compared to a scenario where HCVAs contain no forest (i.e. a no-RSPO scenario), current HCVAs improved connectivity by ~3% across all dispersal abilities. However, if HCVAs were fully reforested, then overall landscape connectivity could improve by ~16%. Reforestation of HCVAs had the greatest benefit for poor to intermediate dispersers (0.5-3 km per generation), generating landscapes that were up to 2.7 times better connected than landscapes without HCVAs. By contrast, connectivity benefits of HCVAs were low for highly mobile populations under current and reforestation scenarios, because range expansion of these populations was generally successful regardless of the amount of forest cover. Synthesis and applications. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) requires that High Conservation Value Areas (HCVAs) be set aside to conserve biodiversity, but HCVAs currently provide few connectivity benefits because they contain relatively little forest. However, reforested HCVAs have the potential to improve landscape connectivity for some forest species (e.g. winged insects), and we recommend active management by plantation companies to improve forest quality of degraded HCVAs (e.g. by enrichment planting). Future revisions to the RSPO's Principles and Criteria should also ensure that large (i.e. with a core area >2 km2) HCVAs are reconnected to continuous tracts of forest to maximize their connectivity benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kimberly M. Carlson
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ManagementUniversity of Hawai'i MānoaHonoluluHIUSA
| | - Jenny A. Hodgson
- Institute of Integrative BiologyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | | | - Robert Heilmayr
- Environmental Studies Program and Bren School of Environmental Science & ManagementUniversity of California Santa BarbaraCAUSA
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12
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Landscape Connectivity Planning for Adaptation to Future Climate and Land-Use Change. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40823-019-0035-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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13
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Isaac NJB, Brotherton PNM, Bullock JM, Gregory RD, Boehning‐Gaese K, Connor B, Crick HQP, Freckleton RP, Gill JA, Hails RS, Hartikainen M, Hester AJ, Milner‐Gulland EJ, Oliver TH, Pearson RG, Sutherland WJ, Thomas CD, Travis JMJ, Turnbull LA, Willis K, Woodward G, Mace GM. Defining and delivering resilient ecological networks: Nature conservation in England. J Appl Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nick J. B. Isaac
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Wallingford UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and EnvironmentCentre for Biodiversity and Environment ResearchUniversity College London London UK
| | | | | | - Richard D. Gregory
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and EnvironmentCentre for Biodiversity and Environment ResearchUniversity College London London UK
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science Sandy UK
| | - Katrin Boehning‐Gaese
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main Germany
- Department of Biological SciencesGoethe‐Universität Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | | | | | | | - Jennifer A. Gill
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of East Anglia Norwich UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Richard G. Pearson
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and EnvironmentCentre for Biodiversity and Environment ResearchUniversity College London London UK
| | | | | | - Justin M. J. Travis
- Institute of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
| | | | - Kathy Willis
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of Oxford Oxford UK
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew London UK
| | - Guy Woodward
- Department of Life SciencesImperial College London Ascot UK
| | - Georgina M. Mace
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and EnvironmentCentre for Biodiversity and Environment ResearchUniversity College London London UK
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Albert CH, Rayfield B, Dumitru M, Gonzalez A. Applying network theory to prioritize multispecies habitat networks that are robust to climate and land-use change. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2017; 31:1383-1396. [PMID: 28383758 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Revised: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/31/2017] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Designing connected landscapes is among the most widespread strategies for achieving biodiversity conservation targets. The challenge lies in simultaneously satisfying the connectivity needs of multiple species at multiple spatial scales under uncertain climate and land-use change. To evaluate the contribution of remnant habitat fragments to the connectivity of regional habitat networks, we developed a method to integrate uncertainty in climate and land-use change projections with the latest developments in network-connectivity research and spatial, multipurpose conservation prioritization. We used land-use change simulations to explore robustness of species' habitat networks to alternative development scenarios. We applied our method to 14 vertebrate focal species of periurban Montreal, Canada. Accounting for connectivity in spatial prioritization strongly modified conservation priorities and the modified priorities were robust to uncertain climate change. Setting conservation priorities based on habitat quality and connectivity maintained a large proportion of the region's connectivity, despite anticipated habitat loss due to climate and land-use change. The application of connectivity criteria alongside habitat-quality criteria for protected-area design was efficient with respect to the amount of area that needs protection and did not necessarily amplify trade-offs among conservation criteria. Our approach and results are being applied in and around Montreal and are well suited to the design of ecological networks and green infrastructure for the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services in other regions, in particular regions around large cities, where connectivity is critically low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile H Albert
- Aix Marseille Univ, Univ Avignon, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Case 421 Av Escadrille Normandie Niémen 13 397 Marseille cedex 20, France
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Stewart Biology Building 1205 Docteur Penfield, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada
| | - Bronwyn Rayfield
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Stewart Biology Building 1205 Docteur Penfield, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada
- Département des sciences naturelles, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Institut des sciences de la forêt tempérée, 58 Rue Principale, Ripon, QC, J0V 1V0, Canada
- Apex Resource Management Solutions Ltd., 937 Kingsmere Ave, Ottawa, ON K2A, 3K2, Canada
| | - Maria Dumitru
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Stewart Biology Building 1205 Docteur Penfield, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada
| | - Andrew Gonzalez
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Stewart Biology Building 1205 Docteur Penfield, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada
- Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science, Stewart Biology Building 1205 Docteur Penfield, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada
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15
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Morin DJ, Fuller AK, Royle JA, Sutherland C. Model-based estimators of density and connectivity to inform conservation of spatially structured populations. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dana J. Morin
- New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; Department of Natural Resources; Cornell University; 211 Fernow Hall Ithaca New York 14853 USA
| | - Angela K. Fuller
- U.S. Geological Survey; New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; Department of Natural Resources; Cornell University; 211 Fernow Hall Ithaca New York 14853 USA
| | - J. Andrew Royle
- U.S. Geological Survey; Patuxent Wildlife Research Center; 12000 Beech Forest Road Laurel Maryland 20708 USA
| | - Chris Sutherland
- Department of Environmental Conservation; University of Massachusetts-Amherst; 118 Holdsworth Hall Amherst Massachusetts 01003 USA
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Fourcade Y, Öckinger E. Host plant density and patch isolation drive occupancy and abundance at a butterfly's northern range margin. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:331-345. [PMID: 28070296 PMCID: PMC5216661 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Revised: 10/12/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Marginal populations are usually small, fragmented, and vulnerable to extinction, which makes them particularly interesting from a conservation point of view. They are also the starting point of range shifts that result from climate change, through a process involving colonization of newly suitable sites at the cool margin of species distributions. Hence, understanding the processes that drive demography and distribution at high-latitude populations is essential to forecast the response of species to global changes. We investigated the relative importance of solar irradiance (as a proxy for microclimate), habitat quality, and connectivity on occupancy, abundance, and population stability at the northern range margin of the Oberthür's grizzled skipper butterfly Pyrgus armoricanus. For this purpose, butterfly abundance was surveyed in a habitat network consisting of 50 habitat patches over 12 years. We found that occupancy and abundance (average and variability) were mostly influenced by the density of host plants and the spatial isolation of patches, while solar irradiance and grazing frequency had only an effect on patch occupancy. Knowing that the distribution of host plants extends further north, we hypothesize that the actual variable limiting the northern distribution of P. armoricanus might be its dispersal capacity that prevents it from reaching more northern habitat patches. The persistence of this metapopulation in the face of global changes will thus be fundamentally linked to the maintenance of an efficient network of habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoan Fourcade
- Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
| | - Erik Öckinger
- Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
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