Assessment of Habitat Quality and Landscape Connectivity for Forest-Dependent Cracids in the Sierra Madre del Sur Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, México

Abstract

Assessing landscape connectivity allows us to identify critical areas that impede or facilitate the movement of organisms and their genes and to plan their conservation and management. In this article, we assessed landscape connectivity and ecological condition of the habitat patches of a highly biodiverse region in Chiapas, Mexico. We employed data of three cracid species with different characteristics in habitat use and mobility. The habitat map of each species was derived from a spatial intersection of the models of potential distribution and a high-resolution map of current land cover and land use. The ecological condition of vegetation types was evaluated using 75 field plots. Structure of landscape was estimated by fragmentation metrics, while functional connectivity was assessed using spatially explicit graph analysis. The extent of suitable habitat for Oreophasis derbianus, Penelopina nigra, and Penelope purpurascens correspond to 25%, 46%, and 55% of the study area (5,185.6 km 2 ), respectively. Although the pine-oak forests were the most fragmented vegetation type, habitats of the three species were well connected, and only 4% to 9% of the fragments located on the periphery of the corridor had low connectivity. Landscape connectivity depends mainly on land uses with an intermediate and lower ecological condition (secondary forests and coffee agroforestry systems). Therefore, we suggest that in addition to promoting the improvement in connectivity in fragmented forests, conservation efforts should be aimed at preventing the conversion of mature forests into agricultural uses and maintaining agroforestry systems.

Urbanization intensifies the imbalance between human development and biodiversity conservation: Insights from the coupling analysis of human activities and habitat quality

“…HQ highlights the environmental health status and its capacity to provide suitable production conditions. Most current studies have focused on the negative effects of human activities on HQ (Ocampo et al, 2019; Tang et al, 2023; Zhao, Qu, et al, 2022). These studies assume that human activities threaten natural habitats and may lead to habitat degradation and increase the risk of biodiversity loss (Zhang et al, 2020).…”

Dynamic Evolution and Scenario Simulation of Ecosystem Services under the Impact of Land-Use Change in an Arid Inland River Basin in Xinjiang, China

“…This occurred because the ESs were affected by factors, such as land-use patterns, human activities, and climate change [64]. Of all the land types studied in this paper, forestland and grassland provide the highest value of ESs [65], as they are rich in biodiversity and have a high capacity for carbon sequestration and runoff regulation. In contrast, cropland, built-up areas, and unused land provide much lower services [66].…”

Impacts of Land Use Intensity on Ecosystem Services: A Case Study in Harbin City, China

“…This is because ESs are impacted by a variety of causes, including alterations in land use, disturbance from people, and climate change [62]. Forest, grassland, and wetland generally have high ESs because they are less exposed to human disturbance activities, store large amounts of carbon, are rich in biodiversity, and are ideal environments for plants and animals [63,64]. Construction land and bare land have poorer ESs because rapid urbanization and industrialization are often accompanied by environmental degradation [65].…”