A multispecies corridor in a fragmented landscape: Evaluating effectiveness and identifying high-priority target...

Area of Science:

• Conservation Biology
• Ecology
• Landscape Planning

Background:

• Misiones, Argentina, harbors a critical remnant of the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest, a global biodiversity hotspot.
• Only 50% of this vital ecoregion is protected, with remaining areas threatened by habitat fragmentation and land conversion.
• Protected areas risk becoming isolated 'islands,' diminishing connectivity for wide-ranging species.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance the planning of a multispecies wildlife corridor in Misiones, Argentina.
• To integrate new field data and refine species-specific habitat suitability assessments.
• To improve the identification of key areas for conservation management within the corridor.

Main Methods:

• Utilized noninvasive data for five carnivore species: jaguars, pumas, ocelots, southern tiger cats, and bush dogs.
• Integrated new field data across a heterogeneous landscape with varying vegetation, disturbance, and human proximity.
• Compared two land use layers to analyze species distributions, overlap, and relationship to the proposed multispecies corridor.

Main Results:

• Refined habitat suitability into marginal and optimal areas for the target carnivore species.
• Reanalyzed key corridor areas previously deemed 'highly-at-risk' for connectivity.
• Identified specific areas requiring targeted management strategies for enhanced connectivity.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a refined framework for multispecies corridor planning in fragmented landscapes.
• Detailed land use analysis and habitat suitability mapping are essential for effective conservation.
• Management strategies balancing human and wildlife needs are critical for long-term ecological connectivity.