Evaluating multispecies landscape connectivity in a threatened tropical mammal community

Brodie, Jedediah F.; Giordano, Anthony J.; Dickson, Brett G.; Hebblewhite, Mark; Bernard, Henry; Anderson, Jesse J.; Ambu, Laurentius

doi:10.1111/cobi.12337

Cited by 182 publications

(131 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…In recent years, the multispecies connectivity approach has been successfully demonstrated for marine-area conservation planning (Magris et al, 2015), examining rare mammal communities in tropical forests (Brodie et al, 2014), and for understanding past land use decisions on current bird distributions (Mimet et al, 2013). Most frequently, however, these studies employ deterministic metrics or occur over one time horizon.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Landscape connectivity losses due to sea level rise and land use change

et al. 2016

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A fundamental problem in landscape ecology is understanding the isolating effects of different patterns of habitat loss and fragmentation on species and ecosystems. In the 21st century, urban development and sea level rise (SLR) are predicted to affect large areas of the United States, further exacerbating already fragmented and densely populated landscapes. Increasing or restoring habitat connectivity may ameliorate these effects, but the broad-reaching efforts required to assess current and future changes to connectivity, especially in low-lying areas vulnerable to SLR, are still under development. To address these issues, we strategically identified a small group of regionally significant species that represent a range of characteristics and ecological requirements useful for examining landscape connectivity. We used expert opinion to parameterize divergent species responses (i.e. resistance) to landscape features and to assess permeability of the landscape. From this, we estimated contemporary and future low-resistance habitat cores in the year 2100. We modeled six species for habitat connectivity using a multiscaled circuit theory-based approach and analysed them collectively to indicate landscape connectivity across the Southeastern United States. Using this approach, we were able to forecast changing connectivity patterns based on predicted urbanization and SLR. Our results suggest that there will be a 41% reduction in the number of low-resistance cores and a 35% decrease in mean area of remaining cores. In addition, current areas of high landscape connectivity will become more fragmented as future connectivity values indicate a more homogenized landscape structure. In the future landscape, pathways for connectivity are likely to move inland and northward as sea level and urbanization pressures increase. Our results may inform more comprehensive planning initiatives regionally or nationally, while simultaneously providing a multiscaled context for localized planning efforts.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Landscape connectivity losses due to sea level rise and land use change

et al. 2016

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“…Species-specific differences in dispersal could stem from responses to variation in habitat quality (Ewers and Didham 2006). In many systems, however, the permeability of the landscape matrix to dispersal will vary along a continuum (Beier et al 2008, Brodie et al 2015a). In many systems, however, the permeability of the landscape matrix to dispersal will vary along a continuum (Beier et al 2008, Brodie et al 2015a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How individual links affect network stability in a large‐scale, heterogeneous metacommunity

Brodie

Schnell

2016

Ecology

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Elucidating how dispersal and landscape connectivity influence metacommunity stability will shed light on natural processes structuring ecosystems and help prioritize conservation actions in an increasingly fragmented world. Much of the theoretical and mathematical development of the metacommunity concept has been based on simplified experimental systems or simulated data. We still have limited understanding of how variation in the habitat matrix and species-specific differences in dispersal ability contribute to metacommunity dynamics in heterogeneous landscapes. We model a metacommunity of rainforest mammals in Borneo, a tropical biodiversity hotspot, where protected areas are increasingly isolated by ongoing habitat disturbance and loss. We employ a combination of hierarchical models of local abundance, circuit-theory-based dispersal analysis, and metapopulation models. Our goal was to understand which landscape links were the most important to metapopulation persistence and metacommunity stability. Links were particularly important if they were short and connected two large patches. This was partly because only the very shortest links could be traversed by poorly dispersing species, including small herbivores such as chevrotains (Tragulus spp.) and porcupines. Links that join large patches into a "super-patch" may also promote island-mainland rather than Levins-type metapopulation dynamics for good dispersers, particularly large carnivores such as clouded leopards (Neofelis diardi) and sun bears (Helarctos malayanus), reducing metapopulation extinction risk and thereby enhancing metacommunity stability. Link importance to metacommunity stability was highly correlated between heterogeneous and homogeneous landscapes. But link importance to metapopulation capacity varied strongly across species, and the correlation between heterogeneous and homogeneous landscape matrix scenarios was low for poorly dispersing taxa. This suggests that the environmental conditions in the area between habitat patches, the landscape matrix, is important for assessing certain individual species but less so for understanding the stability of the entire metacommunity.

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“…Yet it is still unclear whether tropical biodiversity is more strongly affected by forest loss, by the spatial configuration of the remaining forest, or by matrix composition. This information is urgently needed to improve conservation strategies, particularly considering unresolved issues about the design of protected areas (Murphy 1989), the role of habitat corridors (Brodie et al 2015) and the effects of different matrix types (Franklin and Lindenmayer 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest loss and matrix composition are the major drivers shaping dung beetle assemblages in a fragmented rainforest

et al. 2015

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Context Identifying the drivers shaping biological assemblages in fragmented tropical landscapes is critical for designing effective conservation strategies. It is still unclear, however, whether tropical biodiversity is more strongly affected by forest loss, by its spatial configuration or by matrix composition across different spatial scales. Objectives Assessing the relative influence of forest patch and landscape attributes on dung beetle assemblages in the fragmented Lacandona rainforest, Mexico. Methods Using a multimodel inference approach we tested the relative impact of forest patch size and landscape forest cover (measures of forest amount at the patch and landscape scales, respectively), patch shape and isolation (forest configuration indices at the patch scale), forest fragmentation (forest configuration index at the landscape scale), and matrix composition on the diversity, abundance and biomass of dung beetles. Results Patch size, landscape forest cover and matrix composition were the best predictors of dung beetle assemblages. Species richness, beetle abundance, and biomass decreased in smaller patches surrounded by a lower percentage of forest cover, and in landscapes dominated by open-area matrices. Community evenness also increased under these conditions due to the loss of rare species. Conclusions Forest loss at the patch and landscape levels and matrix composition show a larger impact on dung beetles than forest spatial configuration. To preserve dung beetle assemblages, and their key functional roles in the ecosystem, conservation initiatives should prioritize a reduction in deforestation and an increase in the heterogeneity of the matrix surrounding forest remnants.

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Evaluating multispecies landscape connectivity in a threatened tropical mammal community

Cited by 182 publications

References 38 publications

Landscape connectivity losses due to sea level rise and land use change

Landscape connectivity losses due to sea level rise and land use change

How individual links affect network stability in a large‐scale, heterogeneous metacommunity

Forest loss and matrix composition are the major drivers shaping dung beetle assemblages in a fragmented rainforest

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