Habitat functionality: Integrating environmental and geographic space in niche modeling for conservation planning

Moorter, Bram Van; Kivimäki, Ilkka; Panzacchi, Manuela; Saura, Santiago; Niebuhr, Bernardo Brandão; Strand, Olav; Saerens, Marco

doi:10.1002/ecy.4105

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 72 publications

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“…Both metrics characterize the whole network through, respectively, eigenanalysis or summation. Future work will extend the current sensitivity analysis for a single s-t pair to such topological measures, for instance the sum of the expected costs between all pairs of node in the network (see also Van Moorter et al 2023).…”

Section: Discussion and Future Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sensitivity to network perturbations in the randomized shortest paths framework: theory and applications in ecological connectivity

Kivimäki,

Van Moorter,

Saerens

2024

J. Phys. Complex.

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The Randomized Shortest Paths (RSP) framework, developed for network analysis, extends traditional proximity and distance measures between two nodes, such as shortest path distance and commute cost distance (related to resistance distance). Consequently, the RSP framework has gained popularity in studies on landscape connectivity within ecology and conservation, where the behavior of animals is neither random nor optimal.In this work, we study how local perturbations in a network affect proximity and distance measures derived from the RSP framework. For this sensitivity analysis, we develop computable expressions for derivatives with respect to weights on the edges or nodes of the network. Interestingly, the sensitivity of expected cost to edge or node features provides a new signed network centrality measure, the negative covariance between edge/node visits and path cost, that can be used for pinpointing strong and weak parts of a network. It is also shown that this quantity can be interpreted as minus the endured expected detour (in terms of cost) when constraining the walk to pass through the node or the edge.Our demonstration of this framework focuses on a migration corridor for wild reindeer (Rangifer rangifer) in Southern Norway. By examining the sensitivity of the expected cost of movement between winter and calving ranges to perturbations in local areas, we have identified priority areas crucial for the conservation of this migration corridor. This innovative approach not only holds great promise for conservation and restoration of migration corridors, but also more generally for connectivity corridors between important areas for biodiversity (e.g. protected areas) and climate adaptation. Furthermore, the derivations and computational methods introduced in this work present fundamental features of the RSP framework. These contributions are expected to be of interest to practitioners applying the framework across various disciplines, ranging from ecology, transport and communication networks to machine learning.

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Section: Discussion and Future Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sensitivity to network perturbations in the randomized shortest paths framework: theory and applications in ecological connectivity

Kivimäki,

Van Moorter,

Saerens

2024

J. Phys. Complex.

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Habitat functionality: Integrating environmental and geographic space in niche modeling for conservation planning

Moorter

Kivimäki

Panzacchi

et al. 2023

Ecology

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Niche modeling is typically used to assess the effects of anthropogenic land use and climate change on species distributions and to inform spatial conservation planning. These models focus on the suitability of local biotic and abiotic conditions for a species in environmental space (E‐space). Although movements also affect species occurrence, efforts to formally integrate geographic space (G‐space) into niche modeling have been hindered by the lack of comprehensive theoretical frameworks. We propose the “functional habitat” framework to define areas that are simultaneously of high quality in E‐space, and functionally connected to other suitable habitats in G‐space. Originating in metapopulation ecology, approaches have been developed to assess the amount of suitable connected habitats, based on the proximity between pairs of locations. Using network theory, which operates in topological space (T‐space, defined by a network), we extended these metapopulation approaches to integrate movement constraints in G‐space with niche modeling in E‐space. We demonstrate the functional habitat framework using empirical data (GPS tracking and population monitoring) throughout the European wild mountain reindeer (Rangifer t. tarandus) distribution range. We show that functional habitat outperforms traditional suitability in explaining the species' distribution. This approach integrates effects from habitat loss and fragmentation for spatial conservation planning, and avoids overemphasizing small, inaccessible areas with locally suitable habitats. The functional habitat framework formally integrates biotic, abiotic, and movement constraints in niche modeling using network theory, thus opening a wide range of applications in spatial conservation planning.

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Rapid evaluation of habitat connectivity change to safeguard multispecies persistence in human-transformed landscapes

Oehri,

Wood,

Touratier

et al. 2024

Biodivers Conserv

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Following the adoption of the Post-2020 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) there is a clear science-policy need to protect habitat connectivity and track its change over time to safeguard biodiversity and inform conservation planning. In response to this need we describe an analytical, multi-indicator and multispecies approach for the rapid assessment of habitat connectivity at fine spatial grain and at the extent of an entire ecoregion. Out of 68 connectivity indicators we found through a literature review, we identified a key-set of six indicators that align with the Essential Biodiversity Variables framework and are suitable to guide rapid action for connectivity and conservation targets in the KM-GBF. Using these selected indicators, we mapped and evaluated connectivity change from 2011 to 2021 across the ecoregion of the St-Lawrence Lowlands in Quebec (~ 30,000 km2) for seven ecoprofile species representing regional forest habitat needs. For most of these species, trends over the last decade indicate a decline in effective connected area and metapopulation carrying capacity, via a division of large contiguous habitat into smaller fragments, whereas on average, habitat area slightly increased. These results highlight that temporal changes in habitat area and connectivity are not necessarily correlated and the urgent need to conserve and restore connectivity to meet targets under the KM-GBF. We provide an R-tool to support our general approach, which enables a comprehensive evaluation of connectivity for regional spatial planning for biodiversity in regions with moderate to high human disturbance.

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Habitat functionality: Integrating environmental and geographic space in niche modeling for conservation planning

Cited by 6 publications

References 72 publications

Sensitivity to network perturbations in the randomized shortest paths framework: theory and applications in ecological connectivity

Sensitivity to network perturbations in the randomized shortest paths framework: theory and applications in ecological connectivity

Habitat functionality: Integrating environmental and geographic space in niche modeling for conservation planning

Rapid evaluation of habitat connectivity change to safeguard multispecies persistence in human-transformed landscapes

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