Quantifying cross-scale patch contributions to spatial connectivity

Cumming, Graeme S.; Magris, Rafael A.; Maciejewski, Kristi

doi:10.1007/s10980-022-01497-7

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…The analyses of sage‐grouse population trends described in Coates et al (2021) rely on the hierarchical population units described here and provide an example of how these can be used with sage‐grouse demographic data. Hierarchically nested management units, when juxtaposed with genetic or landscape connectivity data, may also help assess cross‐scale contributions of the units to overall landscape connectivity (Cumming et al, 2022), but assessments of connectivity and demographic data will likely not be meaningful if the units are not biologically relevant. Therefore, there are potentially numerous applications of these population units for future research and management needs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Defining biologically relevant and hierarchically nested population units to inform wildlife management

O’Donnell

Edmunds

Aldridge

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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Wildlife populations are increasingly affected by natural and anthropogenic changes that negatively alter biotic and abiotic processes at multiple spatiotemporal scales and therefore require increased wildlife management and conservation efforts. However, wildlife management boundaries frequently lack biological context and mechanisms to assess demographic data across the multiple spatiotemporal scales influencing populations. To address these limitations, we developed a novel approach to define biologically relevant subpopulations of hierarchically nested population levels that could facilitate managing and conserving wildlife populations and habitats. Our approach relied on the Spatial "K"luster Analysis by Tree Edge Removal clustering algorithm, which we applied in an agglomerative manner (bottom-to-top). We modified the clustering algorithm using a workflow and population structure tiers from leastcost paths, which captured biological inferences of habitat conditions (functional connectivity), dispersal capabilities (potential connectivity), genetic information, and functional processes affecting movements. The approach uniquely included context of habitat resources (biotic and abiotic) summarized at multiple spatial scales surrounding locations with breeding site fidelity and constraint-based rules (number of sites grouped and population structure tiers). We applied our approach to greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), a species of conservation concern, across their range within the western United States. This case study produced 13 hierarchically nested population levels (akin to cluster levels, each representing a collection of subpopulations of an increasing number of breeding sites). These closely approximated population closure at finer ecological scales (smaller subpopulation extents with fewer breeding sites; cluster levels ≥2), where >92% of individual sage-grouse's time occurred within their home cluster. With available population monitoring data, our approaches can support the investigation of factors affecting population dynamics at multiple scales and assist managers with making informed, targeted, and cost-effective decisions within an adaptive management framework. Importantly, our

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Defining biologically relevant and hierarchically nested population units to inform wildlife management

O’Donnell

Edmunds

Aldridge

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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“…The estimation of centrality measures produced four different centrality matrices, each with a structure in which each row represented a reef and each column a different geographic scale of centrality. Cumming et al (2022) showed how this data set could be converted into a single variable by summing across its columns to produce a single estimate of cross‐scale centrality (CSC) for each feature. In this particular instance, however, given no sample size limitations and a statistical approach that used matrices rather than single variables, we chose to work with each entire matrix rather than to reduce centrality matrices to single columns of data.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We adopted the second approach, which is more ecologically realistic given that organisms typically move at a wide range of scales. More detail on the estimation of cross-scale centrality and support for its ecological validity based on a simulation analysis using metapopulation models are provided by Cumming et al (2022).…”

Section: Regional Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Broad‐scale analysis of fish community data suggests critical need to support regional connectivity of coral reefs

Cumming

Bellwood

2023

Ecological Applications

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Connectivity is vital for the biodiversity and functioning of marine ecosystems.It is known to be important for coral reefs, but the scales at which connectivity effects matter-and, correspondingly, the scales at which management responses are needed-are poorly understood in marine systems. We used 23 years of fish monitoring data collected from ~50 different coral reefs by the Australian Institute of Marine Science, together with a range of geographic data layers (including the Allen Coral Atlas) and additional network analysis, to explore the balance of local and regional influence on fish communities.Variance partitioning indicated that 42% of the variance in fish community composition could be explained by regional effects or their interaction with coarse-grained local influences (habitat). The variance explained by regional influences was divided evenly between measures that capture location on environmental gradients (e.g., proximity to coastal shelf, latitude) and cross-scale centrality measures of reef location within a broader reef network. A total of 11% of variance could be directly or indirectly attributed to management.Our results provide clear evidence that management and restoration of reefs across the globe must consider both local and regional influences on reefassociated organisms and highlight the potential benefits of improving connectivity in human-dominated coastal seascapes.

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“…SE provides tools, metrics, and methods that can be applied to the plastic-scape (Wedding et al, 2011;Costa et al, 2018). Additionally, it provides an ecological framework, technical skills, and best practices for applying them (Grober-Dunsmore et al, 2009;Lepczyk et al, 2021;Cumming et al, 2022).…”

Section: Methods and Toolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The plastic-scape: Applying seascape ecology to marine plastic pollution

2022

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Marine plastic pollution (MPP) has emerged as a global sustainability challenge with environmental, social, and economic consequences. This has inspired action at every scale of governance—from the local level to international institutions. However, policy and management efforts have been reactive and ad hoc, resulting in concerns about their efficacy, cost, and unintended consequences. To adequately address MPP and its global impacts, a systematic, evidence-based approach is needed. Seascape ecology, a subdiscipline of landscape ecology, is an interdisciplinary system science focused on the reciprocal relationship between the patterns and processes that shape seascapes. In this paper, we define the plastic-scape as all the social-ecological systems that interact with plastic (as a product and pollutant), the drivers and pathways of MPP, and the natural and human environments impacted by MPP. We then demonstrate the ways in which principles, methods, tools, and transdisciplinary research approaches from seascape ecology can be applied to better understand the plastic-scape, inform future MPP research and improve management strategies.

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Quantifying cross-scale patch contributions to spatial connectivity

Cited by 8 publications

References 58 publications

Defining biologically relevant and hierarchically nested population units to inform wildlife management

Defining biologically relevant and hierarchically nested population units to inform wildlife management

Broad‐scale analysis of fish community data suggests critical need to support regional connectivity of coral reefs

The plastic-scape: Applying seascape ecology to marine plastic pollution

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