Developing a functional connectivity indicator to detect change in fragmented landscapes

Watts, Kevin; Handley, Phillip

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2009.07.009

Cited by 56 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Both management actions require significant financial commitment and on-ground effort but are likely to have highly effective outcomes. Finally, we recommend further study that incorporates modelling of functional connectivity (Watts and Handley 2010) and explores patterns, timing and the role of perception distance in successful dispersal of ringtail possums, which would enable us to tailor effective management for the conservation of this and similarly sized arboreal marsupials in fragmented landscapes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Genetic consequences of forest fragmentation by agricultural land in an arboreal marsupial

2015

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Context Increasing demands on land for agriculture have resulted in large-scale clearance and fragmentation of forests globally. In fragmented landscapes, species that tolerate or exploit the matrix will persist, while those that do not, frequently decline. Knowledge of matrix use is therefore critical to predicting extinction proneness of species in modified landscapes and defining the value of land for conservation management.Objectives In a fragmented landscape consisting of seven remnant patches surrounded by agricultural land and a large Eucalyptus forest, we explored (i) population connectivity of common ringtail possums, Pseudocheirus peregrinus, to determine the permeability of the agricultural matrix, and (ii) genetic consequences of forest fragmentation. Methods 238 common ringtail possums were screened at 14 microsatellite markers and analysed using a range of genetic techniques. Results We observed significant genetic differentiation among all patches and limited dispersal through the agricultural matrix, even between neighbouring patches. Consequences of this were a six-to ten-fold increase in genetic dissimilarity over an equivalent geographic distance across patches compared with sites in the continuous forest and a significant reduction in genetic diversity, particularly in patches that were geographically more isolated from their neighbours. Conclusions We conclude that the agricultural matrix has a number of characteristics that make it unsuitable for facilitating movement of possums through this landscape, and recommend several management strategies to mitigate the impacts of fragmentation on this and other arboreal species for their conservation.Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Genetic consequences of forest fragmentation by agricultural land in an arboreal marsupial

2015

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“…For example, the IFM could be adapted to incorporate the increased complexity in functional connectivity found in urban landscapes (Tannier et al 2016) instead of Euclidean distance between patches (e.g. Watts and Handley 2010). The generality of our method should therefore be tested by applying it to other study sites; one of the benefits of the method presented is that as long as data are available, it is fairly easily translated into a new study area.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metapopulation modelling of long-term urban habitat-loss scenarios

2017

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Context Increasing human populations in urban areas pose a threat to species' persistence through habitat loss and fragmentation. It is therefore essential that we develop methods to investigate critical habitat loss thresholds and least detrimental landscape configurations. Objectives We develop a framework to assess how the pattern of habitat loss impacts the ecological and social characteristics of a landscape and how this varies depending on the species and criteria by which it is judged. Methods We use a scenario-based approach to test six propositions in which habitat is lost preferentially based on patch characteristics. We use eight bird and two amphibian species as indicator species. To compare scenarios, we present a method combining the output from a metapopulation model with measures of social impacts of land-cover change in a multiple criteria decision analysis. We also determine whether a habitat loss threshold exists, below which small loss of habitat can lead to large loss of species' occupancy. Results We found that, of the scenarios presented, preferentially losing common habitats and smaller patches was least detrimental for both ecological and social factors. Threshold effects were found for all but the generalist bird species. Conclusions We have outlined a workflow which allows for transparent, repeatable comparison between landscapes. This workflow can be used to compare urban landscape plans, or to develop general understanding of the impacts of different forms of habitat loss. Reassuringly, the recommendations based on the scenarios presented are in keeping with received conservation wisdom: to prioritise larger and/or rarer patches.

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“…For example, there may be regional synchrony in population dynamics of some species, or colonization and extinction rates may vary over time (Ovaskainen, 2002). Models can be built that account for complexities not included in the basic incidence function model (e.g., disturbance and spatial autocorrelation between habitats (Frank and Wissel, 1998;Kallimanis et al, 2005); asymmetric connectivity (Bode et al, 2008); or the impact of the matrix on dispersal (Watts and Handley, 2010)). …”

Section: Occupancy-based Metricsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A management-oriented framework for selecting metrics used to assess habitat- and path-specific quality in spatially structured populations

Nicol

Wiederholt

Diffendorfer

et al. 2016

Ecological Indicators

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a b s t r a c tMobile species with complex spatial dynamics can be difficult to manage because their population distributions vary across space and time, and because the consequences of managing particular habitats are uncertain when evaluated at the level of the entire population. Metrics to assess the importance of habitats and pathways connecting habitats in a network are necessary to guide a variety of management decisions. Given the many metrics developed for spatially structured models, it can be challenging to select the most appropriate one for a particular decision. To guide the management of spatially structured populations, we define three classes of metrics describing habitat and pathway quality based on their data requirements (graph-based, occupancy-based, and demographic-based metrics) and synopsize the ecological literature relating to these classes. Applying the first steps of a formal decision-making approach (problem framing, objectives, and management actions), we assess the utility of metrics for particular types of management decisions. Our framework can help managers with problem framing, choosing metrics of habitat and pathway quality, and to elucidate the data needs for a particular metric. Our goal is to help managers to narrow the range of suitable metrics for a management project, and aid in decision-making to make the best use of limited resources.

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Developing a functional connectivity indicator to detect change in fragmented landscapes

Cited by 56 publications

References 36 publications

Genetic consequences of forest fragmentation by agricultural land in an arboreal marsupial

Genetic consequences of forest fragmentation by agricultural land in an arboreal marsupial

Metapopulation modelling of long-term urban habitat-loss scenarios

A management-oriented framework for selecting metrics used to assess habitat- and path-specific quality in spatially structured populations

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