Quantifying Climate-Wise Connectivity across a Topographically Diverse Landscape

Abstract

Climate-wise connectivity is essential to provide species access to suitable habitats in the future, yet we lack a consistent means of quantifying climate adaptation benefits of habitat linkages. Species range shifts to cooler climates have been widely observed, suggesting we should protect pathways providing access to cooler locations. However, in topographically diverse regions, the effects of elevation, seasonality, and proximity to large water bodies are complex drivers of biologically relevant temperature gradients. Here, we identify potential terrestrial and riparian linkages and their cooling benefit using mid-century summer and winter temperature extremes for interior coastal ranges in Northern California. It is rare for the same area to possess both terrestrial and riparian connectivity value. Our analysis reveals distinct differences in the magnitude and orientation of cooling benefits between the summer maximum and winter minimum temperatures provided by the linkages we delineated for the area. The cooling benefits for both linkage types were maximized to the west during summer, but upslope and to the northeast during winter. The approach we employ here provides an improved method to prioritize climate-wise connectivity and promote landscape resilience for topographically diverse regions.

Climate-Wise Habitat Connectivity Takes Sustained Stakeholder Engagement

“…We present research into how sustained engagement (1) influenced the knowledge exchange between and among stakeholders and researchers; (2) shaped the use of knowledge by stakeholders, including ecological objectives, data, analysis, and results; and (3) informed the conservation outcomes for increased resilience of a protected area network. The technical modeling methods and regional results for the climate-wise connectivity assessment are described in Gray et al [50].…”

“…To provide stakeholders with regional information, the researchers assessed connectivity and identified a potential linkage network resulting in a continuous linkage potential surface across the landscape. The resulting regional linkage network was used for a subsequent climate assessment that evaluated current and future temperature projections and quantified metrics of climate resilience [50]. A subset of linkages in the regional network were then prioritized by the stakeholders for a parcel-scale evaluation, in which researchers quantified the conservation and climate resilience value for individual parcels and generated summary reports to facilitate site-specific corridor implementation.…”

“…As a result, the researchers conducted a node-based linkage assessment of structural (i.e., species-uninformed) connectivity to identify landscape connections between PAs. The approach used was species-independent in response to stakeholder-expressed concern about maintaining overall ecological connectivity at the landscape scale [50]. Based on input from the stakeholders, we developed a novel riparian permeability surface to use as input for a riparian connectivity assessment.…”

Dynamic Landscape Connectivity Special Issue Editorial

“…The articles in the Issue focus on innovative analyses to assess structural and functional connectivity, including an overview of the current state of dynamic connectivity and empirical applications that can inform adaptive planning for connectivity from both landscape and species perspectives. The contributions to this Issue evaluate the influence of spatial and temporal dynamics on connectivity in response to seasonal [2], interannual, or decadal climate changes [3,4] as well as changes in conservation and development status [5]. One article focuses on the application of recent advances in Circuitscape modeling that can be used to adopt dynamic approaches for assessing connectivity in support of adaptive planning for connectivity over time [6].…”

“…Whether in support of the conservation of tigers in Southeast Asia [8], creating sustainable landscapes to support multiple species in chaparral of Southern California [3,5], seasonal changes in connectivity for bears in Massachusetts [2], watershed connectivity in the Upper Yellow River, China [9], establishing a landscape connectivity network in Northern California [4,7], or using social-ecological networks to support connectivity in urban landscapes [10], the innovative research from the contributing authors in the Special Issue highlights how landscape dynamics are essential to understand connectivity. These articles all emphasize how a failure to translate dynamics in connectivity science to planning efforts can impede our ability to effectively protect connected landscapes now and under future conditions.…”