Identification and prioritization of stepping stones for biodiversity conservation in forest ecosystems

被引:3
|
作者
Lapin, Katharina [1 ]
Hoffmann, Johanna A. [1 ]
Braun, Martin [1 ]
Oettel, Janine [1 ]
机构
[1] Austrian Res Ctr Forests Nat Hazards & Landscape B, Dept Forest Biodivers & Nat Conservat, Seckendorff Gudent Weg 8, A-1131 Vienna, Austria
关键词
biodiversity; connectivity; forest conservation; protected areas; spatial conservation; species migration; species richness; stepping stone habitats; LANDSCAPE CONNECTIVITY; HABITAT FRAGMENTATION; PROTECTED AREAS; DISPERSAL; MANAGEMENT; PATCHES; ECOREGIONS; SOUTHERN; ECOLOGY; IMPACT;
D O I
10.1111/csp2.13161
中图分类号
X176 [生物多样性保护];
学科分类号
090705 ;
摘要
Habitat degradation and fragmentation are two of the main drivers for biodiversity loss. To mitigate the negative impact of fragmentation in forests, conservation targets are increasingly addressing connectivity to facilitate the independent movement of species between habitat fragments to ensure genetic diversity and adaptation to climate change. In this article, we present a novel approach to identifying and prioritizing stepping stones for preserving connectivity based on national and regional biodiversity data for Austrian forest ecosystems. Our study identified forest areas where conservation measures should be taken to ensure future habitat connectivity by combining four indicator values with different requirements of a stepping stone habitat into a prioritization value. The four compounded indicators are: (i) the Protect Value, which includes distances to patches of protected areas with restricted management for the undisturbed development of retention areas, (ii) the Connect Value, which combines datasets of designated habitat corridors and connectivity areas in Austria based on landscape models and expert validation, (iii) the Species Value identifying species-rich areas, and (iv) the Habitat Value identifying biotopes of high ecological value, key biodiversity areas, and sites of favorable protection status. Nonparametric tests revealed significant differences in prioritization value among the ecoregions of Austria and therefore encourage the consideration of stepping stone prioritization at local and regional context. Building upon the insights from this case study on Austrian forest ecosystems, we developed a robust framework derived from our methodology. This framework is designed to facilitate future implementations in diverse study regions, accounting for factors beyond connectivity crucial for identifying high value stepping stone habitats. We encourage adaptation of this framework to local data availability, species requirements, and local conditions. The compiled framework provides decision support for managers and conservationists for prioritizing areas to conserve and improve connectivity of forest habitats. However, it does not substitute on-the-ground field assessments of habitat quality and measures of functional connectivity. To mitigate the negative impact of fragmentation in forests, conservation targets are increasingly addressing connectivity to facilitate the independent movement and gene flow of species between habitats. Our study identified forest areas where conservation measures should be taken to ensure future habitat connectivity by combining indicator values for structural and functional connectivity metrics. image
引用
收藏
页数:18
相关论文
共 50 条
  • [41] Forest biodiversity and its conservation in India
    Singh, J. S.
    Kushwaha, S. P. S.
    INTERNATIONAL FORESTRY REVIEW, 2008, 10 (02) : 292 - 304
  • [42] Barriers to biodiversity conservation in forest certification
    Ghazoul, J
    CONSERVATION BIOLOGY, 2001, 15 (02) : 315 - 317
  • [43] Feral Cats and Biodiversity Conservation: The Urgent Prioritization of Island Management
    Nogales, Manuel
    Vidal, Eric
    Medina, Felix M.
    Bonnaud, Elsa
    Tershy, Bernie R.
    Campbell, Karl J.
    Zavaleta, Erika S.
    BIOSCIENCE, 2013, 63 (10) : 804 - 810
  • [44] Threat evaluation for biodiversity conservation of forest ecosystems using geospatial techniques: A case study of Odisha, India
    Reddy, C. Sudhakar
    Khuroo, Anzar A.
    Krishna, P. Hari
    Saranya, K. R. L.
    Jha, C. S.
    Dadhwal, V. K.
    ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING, 2014, 69 : 287 - 303
  • [45] Tradeoffs in the value of biodiversity feature and cost data in conservation prioritization
    Rodewald, Amanda D.
    Strimas-Mackey, Matt
    Schuster, Richard
    Arcese, Peter
    SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, 2019, 9 (1)
  • [46] Evaluating the performance of rarity as a surrogate in site prioritization for biodiversity conservation
    Astudillo-Scalia, Yaiyr
    de Albuquerque, Fabio Suzart
    GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION, 2019, 18
  • [47] Average optimacity: An index to guide sate prioritization for biodiversity conservation
    Wilhere, George F.
    Goering, Mark
    Wang, Huilin
    BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION, 2008, 141 (03) : 770 - 781
  • [48] Tradeoffs in the value of biodiversity feature and cost data in conservation prioritization
    Amanda D. Rodewald
    Matt Strimas-Mackey
    Richard Schuster
    Peter Arcese
    Scientific Reports, 9
  • [49] Biodiversity conservation and ecological function restoration in freshwater ecosystems
    Wu, Naicheng
    Zhang, Min
    Qu, Xiaodong
    Martinez-Capel, Francisco
    FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION, 2023, 11
  • [50] Perceptions of priority issues in the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems in India
    Varma, Varun
    Ratnam, Jayashree
    Viswanathan, Vinatha
    Osuri, Anand M.
    Biesmeijer, Jacobus C.
    Madhusudan, M. D.
    Sankaran, Mahesh
    Krishnadas, Meghna
    Barua, Deepak
    Budruk, Megha
    Isvaran, Kavita
    Jayapal, Rajah
    Joshi, Jahnavi
    Karanth, Krithi K.
    Krishnaswamy, Jagdish
    Kumar, Raman
    Mukherjee, Shomita
    Nagendra, Harini
    Niphadkar, Madhura
    Owen, Nisha
    Page, Navendu
    Prasad, Soumya
    Quader, Suhel
    Nandini, R.
    Robin, V. V.
    Sait, Steven M.
    Shah, Manzoor A.
    Somanathan, Hema
    Srinivasan, Umesh
    Sundaram, Bharath
    BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION, 2015, 187 : 201 - 211