Energy-based corridor identification for mammals between protected areas in Iran

Area of Science:

• Ecological modeling
• Landscape ecology
• Biogeography

Background:

• Body mass is a key determinant of energy expenditure in terrestrial locomotion.
• The energy landscape concept aids in understanding animal movement in relation to environmental characteristics.
• Previous methods for resistance mapping and corridor delineation have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To generate resistance maps incorporating digital elevation models and mammal body size data.
• To delineate potential corridors and identify barriers/pinch-points for mammals in Iran.
• To compare corridor use by small versus large mammals.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the enerscape R package to create resistance maps (kcal) using DEMs and body mass (0.5–100 kg).
• Adjusted maximum dispersal distances (50–200 km) for different body sizes.
• Employed the Linkage Mapper toolkit to identify corridors between protected areas in Iran.

Main Results:

• Generated four resistance maps per body size scenario.
• Identified numerous shared corridors utilized by both small (e.g., 500g) and large (e.g., 100kg) mammals.
• Found significant overlap in least-cost paths despite differing energy requirements.

Conclusions:

• Many corridors are viable for a wide range of mammal body sizes in Iran.
• Comprehensive resistance map creation, including species-specific traits and infrastructure, is crucial.
• Accurate corridor identification aids in pinpointing critical pinch points and barriers for conservation.