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Purpose: Sediment transfer pathway disconnecting (STPD) practices break the length of sediment transfer pathways (STPs) and reduce agricultural landscapes connectivity or continuity. Soil and water conservation practices implemented on agricultural landscapes are STPD practices by trapping sediments and forming sediment ridge lines. Although STPD practices have been implemented in the hot-humid, lowlands of northwest Ethiopia for the past four to five decades, their impact in breaking the continuity of STPs and slope length, trapping sediment and forming sediment ridge lines, improving soil properties and thus grain yield, has not been investigated in detail. Materials and methods: A field experiment was designed consisting of four treatments with three replications: (i) agricultural landscapes disconnected with fanya juu ridge; (ii) agricultural landscapes disconnected with stone faced soil bund; (iii) agricultural landscapes disconnected with fanya juu ridge combined with vetiver grass; and (iv) agricultural landscapes without any treatment as a control. Data on trapped sediment, change in slope gradient, soil physical properties and maize grain yield were collected and analyzed. Result: STPD practices trapped large amount of sediment, formed sediment ridge lines, broke STPs and reduced landscape connectivity by ~ 3%. As a result, the disconnected agricultural landscapes improved soil properties and thus increased maize grain yield by 21%. Conclusion: STPD practices reduced landscape connectivity by forming sediment ridge lines and a series of bench terraces. Hence, governmental and non-governmental organization could consider such STPD practices as landscape disconnecting methods to reduce landscape continuity, slope length and gradient, surface runoff concentration, and thus sediment transport and soil erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Land-use intensification can alter small mammal community composition and induce loss of genetic variation in remaining populations. Fragmented landscapes favor generalist and synanthropic species, which are potential reservoirs of pathogens and pose risks to agriculture and forestry. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of land-use intensity on small mammal diversity in grassland and forest habitats, as well as on genetic variation patterns driven by geographic (isolation by distance) and environmental distance (isolation by resistance) factors. Methods: We analysed differences in small mammal community diversity on grassland and forest plots with varying land-use intensities. Genetic analyses were conducted on Myodes glareolus and Microtus arvalis populations from each habitat, using microsatellites. Maximum Likelihood Population Effects models were employed to elucidate gene flow patterns and significant differences in genetic structure based on land-use intensity. Results: Small mammal communities in grasslands were significantly less diverse than in forests. Land-use intensity had a significant effect on diversity within grassland but not within forest habitats. M. glareolus showed three genetic groups, while M. arvalis displayed no discernible population structure or landscape-related pattern. Land-use intensity did not significantly influence the genetic structure of either species. Gene flow in M. glareolus is best described by the IBR model. Conclusion: Land-use intensity significantly affects small mammal community composition, particularly in grasslands. Neither species' genetics is directly impacted by land-use intensity but rather by landscape connectivity and distance. Risk assessments for rodent-borne zoonotic pathogens and crop damage should be framed within a habitat connectivity context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Literature and fossil records document the long‐term occurrence sites of large herbivorous mammals in China. These sites exhibit spatially uneven distribution, potentially reflecting constraints on the dispersal of large herbivorous mammals imposed by stable geomorphic factors. In this study, we examine the impact of landforms on the dispersal of four taxa of large herbivorous mammals across China. Location: China. Taxon: Rhinocerotidae, Elephantidae, Equus, Camelus. Methods: We employed the Omniscape algorithm to create a connectivity model from geomorphic data (slope, elevation and ground cover), assessing the extent to which Chinese landforms obstruct large herbivore dispersal. This model utilised historical distribution sites to delineate barrier strips. Results: Dispersal barriers show regional variation, segmenting China into four distinct regions. The Tibetan Plateau, Taklamakan Desert and Qinling Mountains constitute Region A, presenting the most significant barrier. Region B, characterised by dense, continuous mountain ranges and arid landforms in Northwest China, poses a secondary barrier. Region C, with fragmented mountain ranges in Southwest China, exhibits a diminished barrier effect. Region D features the eastern coastal plains with minimal geomorphic constraints. Conclusions: The edge mountains of the Tibetan Plateau form a continuous barrier strip. The Qinling–Taihang–Yanshan mountain chain constitutes a discontinuous barrier strip. This is because the mountain chain belongs to two geological structural units and is eroded by rivers, creating many corridors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fragmentation of natural environments, generally a consequence of human activity, is one of the main threats to biodiversity. The conservation or creation of ecological corridors is essential in an attempt to remedy this fragmentation. We propose a multi-species model to help decision-makers select an optimal network of corridors from a very general potential network, within a budgetary constraint. The selected network must link a given set of biodiversity reservoirs both spatially and biologically. It must therefore be adapted to a given set of species, i.e. it must take account of the fact that certain corridors and reservoirs are more or less suitable for certain species. The quality of the selected network is measured against the quality of the potential network. This network must also take into account the distance certain species have to travel to connect reservoirs, as well as the possibility for certain species to connect reservoirs even when certain corridors have become impassable, thanks to redundant paths. The proposed model is formulated by a mixed-integer mathematical program. A small example illustrates the model and its resolution in detail. Experiments on larger examples using one of the efficient commercial solvers currently available demonstrate the model's practicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructing an ecological security pattern (ESP) is an effective measure to solve current regional ecological problems, alleviate the contradiction between rapid urbanization and ecological protection, and provide an important spatial path for effective management of regional ecosystems. This study integrated the importance of ecosystem services, ecological sensitivity, landscape connectivity, and ecological resistance, and constructed ESP in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain using analytical hierarchy process (AHP), minimum cumulative model (MCR), and gravity model. A total of 13 ecological sources, 52 ecological corridors (22 first-level corridors, 9 s-level corridors, and 21 third-level corridors), and 201 ecological nodes were identified. The ecological sources were mainly distributed around the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, and the ecological corridors showed a circular distribution, while the ecological nodes were mainly distributed at the intersection of several ecological corridors. In addition, the built-up land in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain increased by 40% in the past 20 years, posing a serious threat to ecological sources and corridors, especially ecological sources adjacent to cities such as Beijing, Jinan, and Qingdao, as well as ecological corridors crossing urban areas such as Beijing, Tianjin, and Zhengzhou. The methodological system of regional ESP constructed in this study can provide theoretical foundations and methodological support for the construction of ESP and the implementation of ecological protection in other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization and fragmentation of habitat are major drivers of population declines in wildlife in cities. This study evaluated fragmentation of aquatic systems in the context of urbanization, using the Eastern long-necked turtle Chelodina longicollis as a model as it is a generalist species, highly vagile and engages in regular overland migration. During two seasons (2020-22), we compared C. longicollis demography in stormwater ponds in two distinct urban drainages, one with greater habitat connectivity (lower road network and an unmodified creek) and one with lower habitat connectivity (higher road network and stormwater drains) in Canberra, south-eastern Australia. Most of the parameters related to habitat (pond age and size) and food requirements (phosphate and prey biomass) for C. longicollis were similar between the two drainages, in addition to proportion of females, overall size-frequency distributions and population size (corrected for variation in capture probability). However, there was a significant effect of the interaction between pond habitat connectivity and pond size with population sizes increasing more steeply in higher than in lower connectivity sites (F1, 4 = 14.3, p = 0.02). We also recaptured a marked turtle from a previous study in the drainage with more habitat connectivity, 14 years later and 15 km from its initial point of capture. This demonstrates the ability of the species to move within an urbanized context. Despite evidence of C. longicollis being resilient to urbanization, dispersal constraints seem to affect population dynamics and long term population viability in areas with low habitat connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Regional ecological security faces serious threats in a changing world. Ecological network (EN) provides decision-makers with spatial strategies for maintaining ecological security and landscape sustainability via alleviating the contradiction between ecological conservation and economic growth. Despite years of intense and fruitful studies, accurately identifying ecological source patches when facing multiple conflicting objectives still remains a challenge. Objectives: This study aimed to propose an advanced framework for recognizing ecological source patches with consideration of multiple objectives and further constructing EN, which would promote a more profound understanding of local ecological condition and provide spatial guidance for ecological conservation planning. Methods: Taking Changsha City as the study area, we evaluated the ecological condition by considering three key ecosystem services, i.e., habitat maintenance, carbon sequestration and water yield using the InVEST model. Ecological source patches were identified using multi-objective genetic algorithms (MOGA) in view of ecosystem services, landscape connectivity and the total area of ecological source patches. Ecological corridors were extracted by applying Minimum Cumulative Resistance (MCR) model based on modified ecological resistance surface. The EN was established by combining these ecological source patches with ecological corridors. Results: The EN in Changsha City was comprised of 51 ecological source patches and 50 ecological corridors. The ecological source patches were primarily distributed across the eastern and western mountainous areas with the total area of 2842 km2, occupying 24.05% of the study area. There was a clear lack of ecological source patches along the Xiangjiang River owing to the high level of urbanization, which deserved particular attention for ecological restoration. Overall, the identified ecological source patches provided 87.31% of ecosystem service supply and 82.49% of the whole landscape connectivity by occupying 67.09% of the dominant patch area. The depicted ecological corridors formed two clusters in the central and northeastern parts of the study area. Conclusions: This study offered new insights into accurately identifying ecological source patches by coordinating various conservation objectives. With the application of MOGA, the proposed framework consolidated ecosystem services, landscape connectivity and patch area to effectively delineate core ecological patches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions: How do local forest conditions and characteristics at the forest patch ‐ scale and landscape ‐ scale affect plot‐scale plant diversity in Europe? Do these patterns vary between forest specialists and generalists? Do community saturation patterns differ between forests varying in their surrounding landscape type? Location: Deciduous forests sampled along a European gradient from southwest to northeast comprising eight regions in five countries (France, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Estonia). Methods: We examined the effects of local conditions assessed by means of Ellenberg indicator values (soil moisture, soil nitrogen, soil pH, light availability), patch‐scale characteristics (patch‐scale plant diversity, forest patch age, forest patch size) and a landscape‐scale variable (representing low and high connectivity of forest patches) on plot‐scale plant diversity, separately for forest specialist and generalist species. Additionally, we ran regression models to examine community saturation patterns. Results: We found patterns of niche partitioning among forest specialists and generalists. Low light availability and medium soil moisture favored forest specialists, while generalists were mostly present at higher light availability and medium and high soil moisture. In general, we found the highest plot‐scale diversity at medium soil pH. Patch‐scale diversity showed a positive impact on plot‐scale diversity and plots in the high‐connectivity landscape had a higher diversity than plots in the low‐connectivity landscape. Further, we observed a high degree of community saturation in both landscape types. Conclusion: The positive impact of a high connectivity of forest patches on local plant diversity emphasizes the importance of small semi‐natural habitats like tree lines, unused field margins and hedgerows to enhance the potential dispersal of forest plants across agricultural landscapes. Community saturation patterns revealed the increasing relevance of local conditions and processes for plot‐scale diversity when patch‐scale diversity increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Landscape Architecture (1673-1530) is the property of Beijing Landscape Architecture Journal Periodical Office Co., Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Background Anthropogenic activities occurring throughout the Sonoran Desert are replacing and fragmenting habitat and reducing landscape connectivity for the Sonoran desert tortoise (Gopherus morafkai). Understanding how the structure of the landscape influences tortoise habitat use and movement can help develop strategies for mitigating the impacts of these landscape alterations, which are conservation actions needed to support the species’ long-term persistence. However, how natural and anthropogenic features influence fine-scale habitat use and movement of Sonoran desert tortoises remains unclear. Methods The goals of this study were to (1) understand how characteristics of the landscape shape tortoise habitat use and movement in order to (2) identify factors that may reduce habitat use or threaten landscape connectivity for the species by discouraging or restricting movement. We collected GPS telemetry data from 17 adult tortoises tracked for two summer monsoon seasons, when tortoises are most active, in a U.S. National Monument along the international border between Arizona, USA and Sonora, Mexico. We used Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) to assign GPS locations to an encamped or a moving state. We used the moving state data in integrated Step Selection Analyses (iSSA) to examine how range-resident Sonoran desert tortoises select habitat and respond to landscape features while moving. Results Tortoises selected to move through areas of intermediate vegetation cover and terrain ruggedness and avoided areas far from desert washes and close to low-traffic roads. Tortoises increased their speed when approaching or crossing low-traffic roads but showed no detectable response to a highway. Conclusion Bare earth or high vegetation cover, flat or extremely rugged terrain, areas far from desert washes, and low-traffic roads may discourage or restrict tortoise movement. Therefore, preventing the development of roads, activities that degrade washes, and activities that thin, remove, or greatly increase vegetation cover may encourage tortoise habitat use and movement within those habitats.

BACKGROUND: Pine wilt disease has caused significant economic, ecological, and social losses in China, but there is a notable lack of research on the dynamic process of its propagation and diffusion over long timescales. This study revealed the spatial and temporal spread of the natural invasion of pine wilt disease through an analysis of long time series at macroscopic scales. We analysed and verified by simulations the driving mechanisms of host and wind fields in the natural spread of pine wilt disease. RESULTS: The research findings indicate that from 1982 to 2019, the number of counties affected by pine wilt disease in the Yangtze River Delta region of China exhibited a pattern of 'steady increase–fluctuation–outbreak'. The host forest played a decisive role in the natural spread of the disease, while the wind field played a supporting role. The study revealed specific contributions from various factors, where host forest landscape connectivity, host forest area share, mean wind speed, and wind frequency accounted for 31.8%, 28.7%, 22.6%, and 8.8%, respectively. The interaction of increased host forest area and increased wind speed can significantly increase the risk of pine wilt disease transmission. To validate these findings, vectorial metacellular automata simulations of pine nematode transmission in the Yangtze River Delta were conducted, yielding results with an accuracy of 0.803. CONCLUSION: By quantifying the contribution of host forest connectivity to the natural spread of pine wilt disease, this research offers a scientific foundation and innovative insights for preventing and controlling its dissemination. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Connectivity between protected areas is necessary to prevent habitat fragmentation. Biodiverse countries like Tanzania craft legislation to promote habitat connectivity via the creation of ecological corridors, but their viability for wildlife often remains unknown. We therefore develop a scalable and replicable approach to assess and monitor multispecies corridor viability using geospatial modeling and field data. We apply and test the approach in the Makuyuni study area: an unprotected ecological corridor connecting Tarangire National Park to Essmingor mountain, Makuyuni Wildlife Park and Mto Wa Mbu Game Controlled Area. We analyzed the viability of Makuyuni as an ecological corridor by creating and validating a geospatial least-cost corridor model with field observations of wildlife and livestock. We created the model from publicly available spatial datasets augmented with manual digitization of pastoral homesteads (bomas). The least-cost corridor model identified two likely pathways for wildlife, confirmed and validated with field observations. Locations with low least-cost values were significantly correlated with more wildlife observations (Spearman's rho = −0.448, p = 0.002). Our findings suggest that Makuyuni is a viable ecological corridor threatened by development and land use change. Our methodology presents a replicable approach for both monitoring Makuyuni and assessing corridor viability more generally. The incorporation of manually digitized homesteads (bomas) and field-based livestock observations makes corridor assessment more robust by taking into account pastoral land uses that are often missing in land cover maps. Integration of geospatial analysis and field observations is key for the robust identification of corridors for habitat connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanisation results in the loss and alteration of natural wetlands and ponds. However, garden ponds in cities and towns can potentially act as rich reservoirs of aquatic biodiversity and stepping stones for dispersal. Homeowners with a range of different motivations, including biodiversity values, install garden ponds. Here, our main aim was to study whether the design and management choices of garden pond owners depended on the location of ponds (capital city vs. countryside), when ponds were installed (pond age), or whether fish were introduced. We surveyed 834 garden pond owners across Hungary using a citizen science questionnaire, asking questions on pond size, location, construction date and materials, vegetation structure, introduction of fish and management practices. From 753 validated responses, we found that the introduction of fish into ponds and high urbanisation were strongly associated with local features and management practices, especially large ponds with a water circulation feature, irrespective of pond age. A typical garden pond in Hungary is ~ 20 m2, < 10 years old, made of rubber lining, contains fish, aquatic vegetation and circulating water, and is actively managed. There was a spatial separation of ponds based on local features between ponds in the capital city (Budapest) and elsewhere. These findings suggest that garden pond owners in the city were more likely to make different choices in pond design and management compared to owners in regional areas. Our results also suggest that pond owners may primarily select management practices to improve habitat quality for ornamental fish. Our findings have important implications for maintaining aquatic biodiversity in urban areas, where garden ponds may be the only aquatic habitat available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arid Land Geography is the property of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology & Geography and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Anthropogenic activities occurring throughout the Sonoran Desert are replacing and fragmenting habitat and reducing landscape connectivity for the Sonoran desert tortoise (Gopherus morafkai). Understanding how the structure of the landscape influences tortoise habitat use and movement can help develop strategies for mitigating the impacts of these landscape alterations, which are conservation actions needed to support the species' long-term persistence. However, how natural and anthropogenic features influence fine-scale habitat use and movement of Sonoran desert tortoises remains unclear. Methods: The goals of this study were to (1) understand how characteristics of the landscape shape tortoise habitat use and movement in order to (2) identify factors that may reduce habitat use or threaten landscape connectivity for the species by discouraging or restricting movement. We collected GPS telemetry data from 17 adult tortoises tracked for two summer monsoon seasons, when tortoises are most active, in a U.S. National Monument along the international border between Arizona, USA and Sonora, Mexico. We used Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) to assign GPS locations to an encamped or a moving state. We used the moving state data in integrated Step Selection Analyses (iSSA) to examine how range-resident Sonoran desert tortoises select habitat and respond to landscape features while moving. Results: Tortoises selected to move through areas of intermediate vegetation cover and terrain ruggedness and avoided areas far from desert washes and close to low-traffic roads. Tortoises increased their speed when approaching or crossing low-traffic roads but showed no detectable response to a highway. Conclusion: Bare earth or high vegetation cover, flat or extremely rugged terrain, areas far from desert washes, and low-traffic roads may discourage or restrict tortoise movement. Therefore, preventing the development of roads, activities that degrade washes, and activities that thin, remove, or greatly increase vegetation cover may encourage tortoise habitat use and movement within those habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disentangling the roles of structural landscape factors and animal movement behaviour can present challenges for practitioners managing landscapes to maintain functional connectivity and achieve conservation goals. We used a landscape genetics approach to combine robust demographic, behavioural and genetic datasets with spatially explicit simulations to evaluate the effects of anthropogenic barriers (dams, culverts) and natural landscape resistance (gradient, elevation) affecting dispersal behaviour, genetic connectivity and genetic structure in a resident population of Westslope Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi). Analyses based on 10 years of sampling effort revealed a pattern of restricted dispersal, and population genetics identified discrete population clusters between distal tributaries and the mainstem stream and no structure within the mainstem stream. Demogenetic simulations demonstrated that, for this population, the effects of existing anthropogenic barriers on population structure are redundant with effects of restricted dispersal associated with the underlying environmental resistance. Our approach provides an example of how extensive field sampling combined with landscape genetics can be incorporated into spatially explicit simulation modelling to explore how, together, movement ecology and landscape resistance can be used to inform decisions around restoration and connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This theme issue features 18 papers exploring ecological interactions, encompassing metabolic, social, and spatial connections alongside traditional trophic networks. This integration enriches food web research, offering insights into ecological dynamics. By examining links across organisms, populations, and ecosystems, a hierarchical approach emerges, connecting horizontal effects within organizational levels vertically across biological organization levels. The inclusion of interactions involving humans is a key focus, highlighting the need for their integration into ecology given the complex interactions between human activities and ecological systems in the Anthropocene. The comprehensive exploration in this theme issue sheds light on the interconnectedness of ecological systems and the importance of considering diverse interactions in understanding ecosystem dynamics. This article is part of the theme issue 'Connected interactions: enriching food web research by spatial and social interactions'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant traits and connectivity influence habitat usage, but fine‐scale ecological characteristics that determine fossorial animal movement patterns remain unclear. To understand the influence of landscape connectivity on movement behaviour, we examined vegetation characteristics relative to tracks between vegetation hummocks left by the short blind dart skink, Typhlacontias brevipes, a fossorial lizard inhabiting dunes of the Namib Desert. We measured characteristics of >700 plant hummocks and 293 T. brevipes tracks. Tracks were relatively direct from hummock to hummock (median straightness = 0.94). Vegetation hummocks with tracks were significantly larger than hummocks without tracks, indicating that vegetation size was the most important factor we measured in predicting track occurrence and was more important to skinks than the distances between hummocks, with only 24% of tracks occurring between nearest neighbouring vegetation hummocks. Network clusters consisting of as many as 15 vegetation hummocks were connected by tracks. Skink tracks had a median length of 815 cm and were oriented primarily from 0° to 30°. Our study highlights the importance of vegetation size to fossorial skinks and raises questions regarding other vegetation features that might influence the movement and ecology of fossorial lizards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional urban design often overlooks the synchronisation of human and ecological connectivities, typically favouring corridors for ecological continuity. Our study challenges this convention by introducing a computational design approach, meta-connectivity, leveraging the deep generative models performing cross-domain translation to integrate human–wildlife landscape connectivity in urban morphology amidst the planetary urbanisation. Utilising chained Pix2Pix models, our research illustrates a novel meta-connectivity design reasoning framework, combining landscape connectivity modelling with conditional reasoning based on deep generative models. This framework enables the adjustment of both human and wildlife landscape connectivities based on their correlative patterns in one single design process, guiding the rematerialisation of urban landscapes without the need for explicit prior ecological or urban data. Our empirical study in East London demonstrated the framework's efficacy in suggesting wildlife connectivity adjustments based on human connectivity metrics. The results demonstrate the feasibility of creating an innovative urban form in which the land cover guided by the connectivity gradients replaces the corridors based on simple geometries. This research thus presents a methodology shift in urban design, proposing a symbiotic approach to integrating disparate yet interrelated landscape connectivities within urban contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is the main cause of the biodiversity crisis. Recent suggestions to narrow biodiversity conservation to land sparing are misguiding. Intensifying farming does not lead to sparing more biodiversity-rich land, because higher yields are a major incentive to expand agriculture. Protected reserves are a cornerstone of global biodiversity, while enhancing spillover between on- and off-field habitats reduces extinctions and promotes a wealth of species, including providers of major ecosystem services. Hence, on- and off-field mixing of conservation measures is required. Biodiversity-friendly farming needs a focus on practices allowing high biodiversity at best without compromising yield, such as diversified and small-scale farming. Further, food trade must recognize and enforce high socioecological standards for production conditions worldwide. The continuing biodiversity losses through agricultural expansion and intensification are dramatic. We argue that a mix of on- and off-field measures is needed, overcoming the false dichotomy of the land sharing-sparing debate. Protected land is essential for global biodiversity, while spillover between farmed and natural land is key to reducing species extinctions. This is particularly effective in landscapes with small and diversified fields. Focusing only on protected land fails to conserve a wealth of species, which often provide major ecosystem services such as pest control, pollination, and cultural benefits. On-field measures must minimise yield losses to prevent increased demand for food imports from biodiversity-rich regions, requiring enforcement of high social–ecological land-use standards to ensure a good life for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the rapid urbanization, the spatial patterns of green spaces in urban environments have undergone significant changes. This study aims to assess the quantitative changes and spatial patterns of green spaces in the city of Salmas using a landscape ecology approach. To achieve this, green space maps of Salmas from Google Earth Engine imagery for the years 2008, 2015, and 2022 were extracted. The urban development of Salmas over the 15-year period was then evaluated. Landscape metrics for structural connectivity were calculated using Fragstats 4.2.1, and functional connectivity indices using Confer Sensinode 2.6 at distances of 100, 250, 500, 750, 1000, 1500, 2000, and 2500 m in all study periods. The results indicated that in Salmas, the green spaces experienced a relatively unfavorable trend in terms of composition, distribution, and spatial arrangement. Over the study period, green space patches underwent a process of degradation concerning their extent, connectivity, and spatial distribution. Moreover, the urban green space per capita in 2008 in Salmas was 8.09 m2/capita, which did not significantly differ from the national standard (12 m2/capita). However, by 2022, with the population and area increase in Salmas, the urban green space per capita decreased to 5.78 m2. Structural connectivity results revealed insufficient connectivity between urban green space patches in Salmas. Functional connectivity analysis demonstrated a decreasing trend in most of the examined indices. Only the dBC_PC index showed a fluctuating trend from 2008 (4.73) to 2022 (5.22), indicating the stability of significant green space patches in Salmas. The overall analysis of urban green spaces in Salmas indicated a decreasing trend in patch density. The reduced creation of green space patches in recent periods implies a decline in the spatial relationships of urban green spaces. Given the shortage of green spaces in studied small size city, planning to increase the area and urban green space per capita is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main cause of the global threat to large carnivore populations living in high-altitude areas is human pressure. The Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus, hereafter bear) is listed as a critically endangered species, and it dominates the higher altitudes of the North and Western Himalayan landscapes. Here, we used species distribution modelling and landscape connectivity to find bears’ suitable habitats and corridors in the Deosai National Park (DNP) and surrounding areas. Species distribution models detected a bear’s suitable habitat of 1,125 km2, of which ca. 73% was covered by DNP. The most crucial predictors in determining the bears’ distribution were elevation—particularly if it was between 3,500 and 4,500 meters above sea level—as well as the bears’ distance from rivers, cattle, and the DNP borders. We discovered robust connectivity among presence points in the core of the study area, particularly within the DNP boundaries, by using the electrical circuit theory models. Landscape connectivity values were indeed low in some areas outside and close to the DNP confines. Based on our findings, it is imperative to protect habitats and corridors that allow the bears to migrate between the suitable patches, particularly beyond the park’s boundaries, to improve bear conservation.

The aim of this study was to address the gaps in understanding and managing the resilience and connectivity of coastal Green Infrastructure (GI) in Estonia, particularly in response to increasing human-related pressures and natural changes.By using the GUIDOS Toolbox for morphological spatial pattern analysis, the study offers a detailed mapping of the structural patterns of GI across the Estonian coast. The findings highlight significant variations in forest cover, land abandonment, and the spread of impervious surfaces, showing how these changes contribute to the fragmentation of GI.Our analysis revealed that the Northeast region suffers from severe fragmentation due to extensive industrial activities, whereas the Southwest is predominantly impacted by intensive agriculture, leading to reduced habitat connectivity. Despite having extensive protected areas, the Western Coast displayed large levels of fragmentation, primarily driven by unmanaged land abandonment and encroachment expansion. Specifically, the fragmentation index was highest in the industrialized Northeast and lowest in less developed areas, albeit still significant due to localized human activities. These findings highlight the importance of targeted GI planning that integrates ecological, socio-economic, and spatial dimensions to minimize fragmentation, enhance ecological corridors, and promote sustainable land-use practices. Strategic planning must also account for potential climate change impacts to ensure the resilience and adaptability of GI networks, securing ecosystem services and supporting both ecological and human communities.

Increasing urbanization has resulted in fragmentation and shrinkage of the North China leopard’s habitat, posing a threat to its survival. By establishing ecological corridors, the North China leopard population will be able to recover and stabilize. It is well established that the connectivity of ecological networks is closely related to species dispersal abilities, therefore, the establishment of ecological networks is one of the most important things to do when it comes to the protection of biodiversity. By constructing ecological networks for North China leopards using circuit theory and the least-cost path model, in addition to analyzing ecological corridors and habitat quality in the areas adjacent to these corridors, it is possible to increase the utilization of ecological corridors by North China leopards more effectively. The purpose of this research is to explore the effectiveness of an ecological corridor construction program for the North China leopard, focusing on the distribution area of the North China leopard in Shanxi Province, China. By adopting the proposed approach, it is hoped that the leopard population of North China will be stimulated to recover and stabilize, while the ecosystem will be maintained and conflicts between humans and leopards will be minimized.

The main aim of our study was to delineate a coherent ecological network for large carnivores, using a unified methodology, which would be flexible and serve as a basis for nature and habitat connectivity protection across the Carpathians. We applied a comprehensive methodological approach based on habitat suitability modelling followed by connectivity modelling. For the habitat suitability modelling, we used a robust set of large carnivores occurrence data, which allowed us to build a solid model. From the model, we derived a layer of patches of suitable habitat of required quality and resistance surface to express landscape permeability. Both outputs were crucial for the connectivity modelling. We applied Random Walk and Least-Cost Path models and combined them to determine feasible connections between suitable habitats. With expert discussions and editing/improvement of modelled corridors, we developed a unique ecological network consisting of various components adapted to the heterogeneity of the Carpathian landscape.

Preserving landscape connectivity in the Omo-Shasha-Oluwa Forest Reserves is crucial due to human-induced fragmentation, shrinking habitats, and disrupted migration routes for wildlife. From 2014 to 2016, we conducted surveys to gather large mammal presence data, mapping their distribution using the MaxEnt algorithm. Employing Circuitscape software and circuit theory concepts, we predicted connectivity patterns for six large mammal species. Our results consistently showed robust predictive performance, with Area Under the Curve (AUC) values exceeding 0.75 for species distribution models. Notably, we identified suitable habitat patches for seven key species, spanning 1760 km2 for C. civetta, 1515 km2 for T. Scriptus, 729 km2 for L. cyclotis, 1693 km2 for P. porcus, 1350 km2 for C. mona, 1406 km2 for P. maxwellii, and 1379 km2 for C. torquatus. Our analysis highlighted distance to human settlements as the most significant predictor for habitat models concerning T. Scriptus, C. civetta, P. maxwellii, C. torquatus, P. porcus, and C. mona, whereas land use type emerged as a critical factor for L. cyclotis. Furthermore, examination of maximum current flow patterns revealed varying degrees of connectivity among habitat patches, indicating potential bottlenecks to species movement, particularly across major rivers and in areas affected by human activities. These findings offer crucial insights for conservation efforts, guiding strategies to preserve wildlife metapopulation dynamics in the Omo-Shasha-Oluwa Forest Reserves landscape

The rate of people and other organisms to move in space, which depends on the landscape structure, affects the provision of ecosystem services. Fragmentation of forest areas make their accessibility difficult for both man and other organisms. The suitability of the landscape to facilitate movement of people can be measured with accessibility analyses and movement of living organism with landscape connectivity analyses. The article examines the relationship between the concepts of landscape connection and accessibility to recreational in theory and in selected study site of Maribor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's unprecedented rapid urbanization has encroached upon ecologically sensitive areas. Since 2013, Wuhan, a central urban hub in China, has adopted Ecological Control Line Planning (ECLP) to regulate urban growth and preserve ecological integrity. This study evaluates how ECLP is implemented in the Wuhan Metropolitan Development Zone (WMDZ), a critical region for harmonizing urban expansion with ecological preservation. The assessment integrates two fundamental aspects—conformity and utilization—with evaluations across spatial and ecological dimensions. This methodology builds a technical framework for rapid identification and detailed analysis of planning effects through LULC statistics and landscape connectivity index monitoring. The findings reveal that the ECLP is spatially conformable and utilizable, successfully curbing urban expansion and channeling development towards the urban growth boundary (UGB) and ecological development area (EDA). However, ECLP has not significantly mitigated the decline in ecological connectivity. Details include the following: (1) The general spatial consistency of the ECLP was 88.53%, with the EDA and ecological baseline area (EBA) achieving 85.18% and 88.98%, respectively. (2) Most of the increase in impervious land within ecological lines originated from agricultural and water areas, with only 7.02 km2 of land transitioning to non-agricultural and non-ecological uses. (3) The integral index of connectivity (IIC) exhibited a more rapid deterioration post-ECLP implementation, suggesting the disruption or degradation of critical connectivity pathways or patches within the ecological network. (4) Core ecological patches experienced significant losses inside and outside the UGB, with losses within the UGB being 2.51 times greater. The findings underscore the importance of ecological connectivity in implementing ecological space protection planning and the need for the flexible governance of areas where protection and development conflicts arise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the constant loss of biodiversity in European ecosystems, which is partly due to the impacts of climate change, the European Commission urges member states to include Green Infrastructure (GI) in their land-use plans. However, although the European Commission establishes the fundamental principles to be applied, the ambiguity of some terms generates a certain degree of complexity regarding the delineation of GI elements, especially Ecological Corridors (ECs). Thus, a straightforward methodology for delineating GI elements is required. Here, we propose a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) that could help non-expert planners identify areas with a high potential to function as ECs and that could thus facilitate the inclusion of these areas in regional GI plans. Probability distribution maps were constructed by fitting a maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) to publicly available data on selected focal species. The maps were combined with other variables that negatively affect species mobility and later inserted in a graph theory tool to determine the least-cost path that would serve as the basis for delineating ECs. The method was applied to the design of an EC network in Galicia (NW Spain), and use of the system as a tool to help spatial decision-making was evaluated. Despite some limitations, the method yielded promising results that could help non-expert planners to establish the basis for delineating EC networks and other GI elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the response of ecological quality (EQ) to forest landscape connectivity is essential to global biodiversity conservation and national ecological security. However, quantitatively measuring the properties and intensities within these relationships from a spatial heterogeneity perspective remains challenging. This study takes the Fujian Delta region as its case study. The Google Earth Engine platform was employed to compute the remote sensing ecological index (RSEI), the landscape metrics were applied to represent the structural connectivity of the forest landscape, and the minimum cumulative resistance model was adopted to measure the cost distance index representing the functional connectivity of the forest landscape. Then, the spatial correlation and heterogeneity between the EQ and forest landscape connectivity were analyzed based on spatial autocorrelation and geographical weighted regression at three scales (3, 4, and 5 km). The results showed the following: (1) from 2000 to 2020, the overall EQ increased, improving in 37.5% of the region and deteriorating in 13.8% of the region; (2) the forest landscape structural and functional connectivity showed a small decreasing trend from 2000 to 2020, decreasing by 1.3% and 0.9%, respectively; (3) eight forest landscape structural and functional connectivity change modes were detected under the conditions of an improving or degrading EQ based on the change in RSEI and forest landscape structural and functional connectivity; (4) the geographical weighted regression results showed that compared with the forest landscape structural connectivity index, the cost distance index had the highest explanatory power to RSEI in different scales. The effect of forest landscape functional connectivity on EQ is greater than that of structural connectivity. It provides a scientific reference for ecological environmental monitoring and the ecological conservation decision-making of managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of the Sanjiangyuan National Park (SNP) system indicates a higher requirement for refining management practices, especially for protecting the ecological barrier system (EBS) that supports national ecological security and biodiversity. However, it is still understudied how planners can identify the key areas for maintaining EBS in addition to functional zoning. This study took the SNP as an example and built a comprehensive analytical framework, including fragmentation analysis, landscape morphology analysis, and connectivity analysis based on graph theory. The study found that the ecological patches of the Lancang River Source sub-park are relatively complete, while those of the Yangtze River Source sub-park and the Yellow River Source sub-park are more fragmented according to different indicators. The study then identified key nodes and edges of sources for maintaining the EBS. These areas are located mostly near core zones of habitat patches. Furthermore, the study analyzed key patches for maintaining landscape connectivity using two indicators DN (degree of nodes) and dIIC (the delta integral index of connectivity), which respectively quantify the number of neighbors of a habitat and its impact on the whole connecting EBS. Last, the study identified areas with dense landscape corridors in the EBS for suggesting key protection areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat restoration planning and design can be informed by information on spatial patterns in habitat use, which can be obtained from temporally and spatially extensive monitoring efforts. Using records from long-term monitoring in four tidal deltas, we modeled how landscape features (channel types, wetland vegetation types, and a channel network connectivity index) influenced juvenile natural-origin (NOr) and hatchery-origin (HOr) Chinook salmon presence/absence and density when present. Models detected strong effects of landscape characteristics on either presence/absence or density, although the directionality and relative importance of these features differed between NOr and HOr fish. In addition, while interannual differences were stronger for NOr juveniles, the seasonal pattern was much stronger for HOr fish and was in fact the strongest predictor of density. For both types of fish, interactions between landscape features and seasonal pattern existed, indicating that habitat use changed dynamically from the beginning to the end of the rearing period. These findings help provide general principles for prioritizing location and designing habitat restoration projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how habitat attributes (e.g., patch area and sizes, connectivity) control recruitment and how this is modified by processes operating at larger spatial scales is fundamental to understanding population sustainability and developing successful long‐term restoration strategies for marine foundation species—including for globally threatened reef‐forming oysters. In two experiments, we assessed the recruitment and energy reserves of oyster recruits onto remnant reefs of the oyster Saccostrea glomerata in estuaries spanning 550 km of coastline in southeastern Australia. In the first experiment, we determined whether recruitment of oysters to settlement plates in three estuaries was correlated with reef attributes within patches (distances to patch edges and surface elevation), whole‐patch attributes (shape and size of patches), and landscape attributes (connectivity). We also determined whether environmental factors (e.g., sedimentation and water temperature) explained the differences among recruitment plates. We also tested whether differences in energy reserves of recruits could explain the differences between two of the estuaries (one high‐ and one low‐sedimentation estuary). In the second experiment, across six estuaries (three with nominally high and three with nominally low sedimentation rates), we tested the hypothesis that, at the estuary scale, recruitment and survival were negatively correlated to sedimentation. Overall, total oyster recruitment varied mostly at the scale of estuaries rather than with reef attributes and was negatively correlated with sedimentation. Percentage recruit survival was, however, similar among estuaries, although energy reserves and condition of recruits were lower at a high‐ compared to a low‐sediment estuary. Within each estuary, total oyster recruitment increased with patch area and decreased with increasing tidal height. Our results showed that differences among estuaries have the largest influence on oyster recruitment and recruit health and this may be explained by environmental processes operating at the same scale. While survival was high across all estuaries, growth and reproduction of oysters on remnant reefs may be affected by sublethal effects on the health of recruits in high‐sediment estuaries. Thus, restoration programs should consider lethal and sublethal effects of whole‐estuary environmental processes when selecting sites and include environmental mitigation actions to maximize recruitment success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human development and induced activities significantly affect the natural functioning of ecosystems and hence landscape connectivity. Ecological corridors are essential for maintaining structural as well as functional connectivity in cultural landscapes for wildlife, while providing interchange between core areas. In two pilot areas in the north-western and eastern part of Austria, ecological corridors were delineated using a geographic information system (GIS). The pilot areas are key to preserving ecological connectivity and are located along important international migration corridors (Bohemian Forest-Northern Alps corridor, Alpine-Carpathian corridor). Both areas are situated in highly human-altered and therefore dissected as well as fragmented landscapes. A one-year monitoring campaign using camera traps was carried out at selected locations along proposed ecological corridors in the cultural landscape and at wildlife crossings structures (WCSs) at intersections with road infrastructure. The monitoring was focused on mammals with a total of 18 species being observed. The most abundant species were roe deer, European hare and wild boar. European otter, European beaver, golden jackal and wildcat have only rarely been observed. Mammal species richness was positively correlated with the presence of vegetation cover and the coefficient of ecological stability (CES). The insights obtained can be used for recommendations and support in planning the planting of vegetation (use of grasslands, scattered and continuous woody vegetation, agroforestry systems) on the sites and in the vicinity of ecological corridors. The green bridges (wildlife overpasses) were used more frequently as well as by a larger number of mammal species compared to other studied WCSs showing characteristics that are less favourable for animals. The effectiveness of WCSs is mainly influenced by human activities, resulting in the recommendation to limit them on WCSs located along the routes of ecological corridors. We point out that actual wildlife migration corridors are likely to differ from designated data-driven ecological corridors generated by spatially explicit models, because these generally do not take into account all factors relating to the effectiveness of corridors. Our results suggest, that the application of the concept of functional connectivity is able to enhance the quality of ecological corridor designations, since usually they are based only on the concept of structural connectivity. For this reason, further studies are needed to help understanding factors and their specificities influencing the interplay between structural and functional connectivity of ecological corridors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanization has led to ecosystem fragmentation, conversion, and degradation, posing great threats to natural habitat and biodiversity. The utilization of ecological networks has gained importance in ecological restoration planning to mitigate the negative impacts of urbanization on ecosystems. This study focused on Nanchang City, China, as a case study area to examine the application of integrated ecological networks in 2000, 2010 and 2020. This study analyzed the dynamic characteristics and spatial differences in landscape connectivity, providing evidence-based support for ecological conservation and restoration. The results indicate the following: (1) a decrease in the number of ecological sources and corridors, especially general sources and corridors, along with a decreasing trend in their importance; (2) an increase in ecological barrier points and breakpoints over time, especially in the southeastern region of the study area; and (3) the identification of ecological conservation priority areas, ecological improvement priority areas, and ecological restoration points based on connectivity and dynamic analysis. Multiple priority actions were proposed, which remarkably improved network connectivity and strengthened biodiversity conservation. Our research provides a valuable reference for identifying ecological priorities and developing ecological protection and ecological restoration actions in highly urbanized areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the "land sharing" versus "land sparing" dilemma in the context of extensive cattle ranching in Chiapas, Mexico. Employing a comprehensive methodology that synthesizes various systems and uses a normalized matrix for relative priority assessment, we identified several geographic variables as zoning criteria. These criteria encompass the hemerobic index, proximity to structurally intact forests, fire frequency, and terrain slope, aiming to identify areas optimal for conservation. Our results highlight properties with high conservation potential and propose two distinct connectivity scenarios, both excluding currently preserved areas. The analysis focuses on the interplay between connectivity and hemeroby, identifying human-influenced regions within the landscape and emphasizing the importance of tree conservation in agricultural contexts for biodiversity preservation. By tackling the "land sharing" vs. "land sparing" debate, the study underscores the necessity of sustainable livestock practices and the critical role of connectivity in ranching landscapes for ecosystem preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of rapid urbanization, protecting landscape connectivity has become an effective measure to mitigate habitat fragmentation and curb biodiversity decline. However, in the current research on simulating optimization processes, the ecological constraints often set are dispersed, isolated, and fixed. They fail to form a comprehensive protective spatial framework and struggle to align with the multifaceted objectives of future development. This study, taking the main urban area of Hangzhou, China as a case study and employing small mammals as indicator species, utilizes the PLUS model to predict the potential threats to landscape connectivity of biological habitats posed by artificial surface expansion from 2020 to 2035. It constructs a coupled mechanism that integrates multi-level ecological security patterns (ESPs) and multi-scenario simulation for landscape connectivity, successfully demonstrating the effectiveness of this mechanism in future landscape connectivity preservation. The results indicate that under the scenarios of business-as-usual (BAU), priority given to urban development (PUD), and priority given to ecological protection (PEP), the overall level of landscape connectivity in the main urban area of Hangzhou is projected to decrease by 18.42%, 7.02%, and 4.39% respectively from 2020 to 2035. The reduction in core area is estimated to be 9.08%, 7.85%, and 6.34%, respectively, while highly important patches are expected to decrease by 12.91%, 7.51%, and 5.86%, respectively. Both PEP and PUD scenarios effectively mitigate the degree of landscape connectivity disruption. This study provides valuable insights for the future optimization of landscape connectivity and contributes to biodiversity conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic linear infrastructures (ALIs), including roads, railways, and canals, provide important resources to humans, but they can affect wildlife through habitat fragmentation and reduced movement through landscapes. To mitigate these effects, overpass crossing structures (i.e., overpasses) can facilitate wildlife movement across ALIs and maintain landscape connectivity. Human activities can potentially influence spatial and temporal patterns in wildlife use of overpasses; however, little information is available about human–wildlife interactions across some types of ALIs. Using remote wildlife cameras, we evaluated human and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) use and interactions at 43 overpasses along the Central Arizona Project canal in Arizona, USA, during 2 seasons (warm and cool) from February 2021 to February 2022. Mule deer exhibited spatial avoidance of human activities at overpasses, although the effect varied across seasons and types of human activity. At a broad scale, the presence of recreationists at overpasses did not exclude mule deer from using overpasses to cross the canal; however, human presence reduced mule deer detection probability in the warm season. At a fine scale, mule deer decreased use of overpasses as activity associated with canal personnel (i.e., security and maintenance workers) increased in the cool season. For both seasons, mule deer exhibited greater overlap in daily activity patterns with recreationists compared to canal personnel. Further, mule deer shifted daily activity patterns to be more active earlier in the morning at sites with high amounts of recreational use compared to sites with lower recreational use. Because human activities can influence mule deer crossings at overpasses, managers might consider minimizing human activities at crossing locations to increase wildlife use and promote wildlife movement across canals and other types of ALIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While climate change has been shown to impact several life‐history traits of wild‐living animal populations, little is known about its effects on dispersal and connectivity. Here, we capitalize on the highly variable flooding regime of the Okavango Delta to investigate the impacts of changing environmental conditions on the dispersal and connectivity of the endangered African wild dog (Lycaon pictus). Based on remote sensed flood extents observed over 20 years, we derive two extreme flood scenarios: a minimum and a maximum flood extent, representative of very dry and very wet environmental periods. These conditions are akin to those anticipated under increased climatic variability, as it is expected under climate change. Using a movement model parameterized with GPS data from dispersing individuals, we simulate 12,000 individual dispersal trajectories across the ecosystem under both scenarios and investigate patterns of connectivity. Across the entire ecosystem, surface water coverage during maximum flood extent reduces dispersal success (i.e., the propensity of individuals to disperse between adjacent subpopulations) by 12% and increases dispersal durations by 17%. Locally, however, dispersal success diminishes by as much as 78%. Depending on the flood extent, alternative dispersal corridors emerge, some of which in the immediate vicinity of human‐dominated landscapes. Notably, under maximum flood extent, the number of dispersing trajectories moving into human‐dominated landscapes decreases by 41% at the Okavango Delta's inflow, but increases by 126% at the Delta's distal end. This may drive the amplification of human–wildlife conflict. While predicting the impacts of climate change on environmental conditions on the ground remains challenging, our results highlight that environmental change may have significant consequences for dispersal patterns and connectivity, and ultimately, population viability. Acknowledging and anticipating such impacts will be key to effective conservation strategies and to preserve vital dispersal corridors in light of climate change and other human‐related landscape alterations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural landscape expansion and land development have disrupted wildlife habitats and movement pathways, limiting species’ access to critical resources. Identifying multispecies corridors across human-dominated landscapes is crucial to facilitate safe and unobstructed movement while minimizing negative interactions between humans and wildlife. We conducted a spatial distribution analysis to delineate potential high conflict areas and assess connectivity for the movement of focal species across Peninsular Malaysia. Using conflict data for the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), Malayan sun bear (Helarctos malayanus), and Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris) spanning an eight-year period (2013–2020), we predicted conflict risk distribution with MaxEnt. We then overlaid the resulting risk maps onto a unified resistance surface and predicted least-cost corridors between high conservation value (HCV) patches. We ranked these corridors by their ecological importance in a plantation landscape. We identified pinch point areas (bottlenecks) to denote locations most critical to species movement along the corridors. Our results suggested that potential high conflict areas were primarily located in eastern and southern Peninsular Malaysia. We identified 89 HCV core patches that were interconnected by 126 linkages. The mean length of the least-cost corridors was 13.41 km. Among the top 10 linkages ranked by centrality value, three crossed commercial plantations for

Rapid deforestation has been well-documented in Colombia after the 2016 peace agreement with FARC. While many analysis using remote sensing identify land cover change, structural connectivity variables are less studied for understanding landscape transformation. In this work, we used data from the Landsat archive from 2011 to 2021, the Continuous Change Detection and Classification algorithm (CCDC), and Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA) to analyze deforestation, land cover change, and landscape connectivity in northwestern Colombia’s Amazon. We examined the spatial patterns in three specific subsets in the Colombian arc of deforestation, with a special focus on the surroundings of the National Natural Park Serranía de Chiribiquete. Our results confirm changes in structural connectivity linked to pasture expansion from the conversion forest to pasture during the analyzed period showing changes in the borders of Serranía de Chiribiquete National Park along rivers and roads, where cattle is transported. Before 2016, the average annual deforested area in the three study areas was 27.93 km²; after 2016, this number increased to 73.36 km². The outcomes of our study contribute to an improved understanding of pasture dynamics. They can aid decision-making in areas that play a key role in ecological networks necessary for long-term conservation efforts. Our quantitative assessments have revealed a temporal shrinking of the core area, indicative of a decline in forest cover. Concurrently, we observed an expansion of the edge and background areas, which is consistent with the proliferation of pastures. This study presents methodology and data in support of policy-making for sustainable land use and ecological connectivity to mitigate further environmental degradation in the area.

Habitat fragmentation is an important factor affecting biodiversity conservation, and few studies have discussed the relationship between the overall pattern of wetlands and biological ecological functions. Based on this, this study proposed the construction of wetland biodiversity conservation Ecological Networks (ENs) from the perspective of connectivity, and proposed a comprehensive framework for the construction of wetland ENs. Firstly, the key species were identified, and the habitat patches suitable for egret migration were analyzed by Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA) and landscape connectivity index, and the ecological sources were determined based on the policy influence. The Minimum Cumulative Resistance (MCR) model was used to extract the wetland ENs, and the network evaluation index, gravity model and Hydrological analysis model were used to analyze the “network − corridor − node” respectively. The results showed that: (1) The wetland patches in Haikou City were relatively trivial, and the connectivity between and within the patches was insufficient. There were 13 potential sources suitable for egret habitat and 17 ecological sources for comprehensive extraction; (2) The wetland ENs tends to be east of Nandu River, the network tightness is 0.038, and the network connectivity is low; (3) There are 45 important corridors and 8 important ecological sources, mainly concentrated in the east of Nandu River; (4) Identify 115, 50 and 66 ecological pinpoints, obstacle points and break points of wetland network, and propose protection, optimization and restoration strategies respectively. Comprehensive identification of ecological sources and the progressive wetland ENs analysis model of “network − corridor − node” will promote the further systematization of wetland biological protection research.

Abstract African swine fever (ASF) is an infectious and highly fatal disease affecting wild and domestic swine, which is unstoppably spreading worldwide. In Europe, wild boars are one of the main drivers of spread, transmission, and maintenance of the disease. Landscape connectivity studies are the main discipline to analyze wild-species dispersal networks, and it can be an essential tool to predict dispersal-wild boar movement routes and probabilities and therefore the associated potential ASF spread through the suitable habitat. We aimed to integrate wild boar habitat connectivity predictions with their occurrence, population abundance, and ASF notifications to calculate the impact (i.e., the capacity of a landscape feature to favor ASF spread) and the risk (i.e., the likelihood of a habitat patch becoming infected) of wild boar infection across Europe. Furthermore, we tested the accuracy of the risk of infection by comparing the results with the temporal distribution of ASF cases. Our findings identified the areas with the highest impact and risk factors within Europe's central and Eastern regions where ASF is currently distributed. Additionally, the impact factor was 31 times higher on habitat patches that were infected vs non-infected, proving the utility of the proposed approach and the key role of wild boar movements in ASF-spread. All data and resulting maps are openly accessible and usable.

Constructing an ecological security pattern (ESP) is an effective measure to solve current regional ecological problems, alleviate the contradiction between rapid urbanization and ecological protection, and provide an important spatial path for effective management of regional ecosystems. This study integrated the importance of ecosystem services, ecological sensitivity, landscape connectivity, and ecological resistance, and constructed ESP in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain using analytical hierarchy process (AHP), minimum cumulative model (MCR), and gravity model. A total of 13 ecological sources, 52 ecological corridors (22 first-level corridors, 9 s-level corridors, and 21 third-level corridors), and 201 ecological nodes were identified. The ecological sources were mainly distributed around the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, and the ecological corridors showed a circular distribution, while the ecological nodes were mainly distributed at the intersection of several ecological corridors. In addition, the built-up land in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain increased by 40% in the past 20 years, posing a serious threat to ecological sources and corridors, especially ecological sources adjacent to cities such as Beijing, Jinan, and Qingdao, as well as ecological corridors crossing urban areas such as Beijing, Tianjin, and Zhengzhou. The methodological system of regional ESP constructed in this study can provide theoretical foundations and methodological support for the construction of ESP and the implementation of ecological protection in other regions.

Rainfall runoff and leaching are the main driving forces that nitrogen, an important non‐point source (NPS) pollutant, enters streams, lakes, and groundwater. Hydrological and transport processes thus play a pivotal role in NPS nitrogen pollution. Existing hydro‐environmental models for nitrogen pollution often over‐simplify the within‐watershed processes. It is unclear how such simplification affects the pollution assessment regarding the formation and distribution of denitrification hot spots—which is important for the design of land‐based countermeasures. To study this problem, we developed a model, DHSVM‐N, and its variant, DHSVM‐N_alt. DHSVM‐N is developed by integrating nitrogen‐related processes of SWAT into a comprehensive process‐based hydrological model, the Distributed Hydrology Soil and Vegetation Model (DHSVM). DHSVM‐N includes detailed representations of nitrate transport process at a fine spatial resolution with good landscape connectivity to accommodate interactions between hydrological and biogeochemical processes along the flow travel pathways. Because of the lack of spatially distributed observational data for validation, a model‐to‐model comparison study is conducted. Through comparison studies on a representative catchment using SWAT, DHSVM‐N and DHSVM‐N_alt, we quantify the critical roles of hydrological processes and nitrate transport processes in modeling the denitrification process. That is, the capabilities to give reasonable soil moisture estimates and to account for essential processes that take place along flow pathways are keys to simulate denitrification hot spots and their spatial variation. Furthermore, DHSVM‐N results show that terrestrial denitrification from hotspots alone can reach as high as 36% of the annual stream nitrate export of the watershed. Plain Language Summary: Impacts on water quality of streams and lakes caused by non‐point nitrogen sources from agricultural activities have been the focus of investigations of nitrogen pollution. Typically, such investigations are carried out by employing existing hydro‐environmental models even though they often adopt simplified hydrological and transport processes. These simplified models may serve their purposes well, but when within‐watershed dynamics, such as the denitrification and its hotspot spatial distribution within a watershed, play important roles, the existing models could be subjected to large errors or uncertainties. To improve the modeling of watershed nitrogen transport, a new model, DHSVM‐N, which incorporates essential hydrological and transport processes, is developed by combining the widely used SWAT and DHSVM models. Because of the lack of spatially distributed observational data for validation, a model‐to‐model comparison study is conducted. DHSVM‐N and SWAT are found to give very different results in the levels and spatial distribution of denitrification, as well as nitrate export to streams. Key Points: Key processes determining denitrification hot spots and spatial distribution are identified via systematic analysis using three modelsLandscape unit connectivity, routing and runoff flow paths are critical hydrological components for modeling denitrification hot spotsA process‐based model, DHSVM‐N, is developed for studying nitrogen‐related processes and pollution at watershed scale [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]