Designing a Climate Change Resilient Landscape Connectivity Network From a Multi-Species Perspective

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Conservation Biology
• Climate Change Science

Background:

• Climate change is causing significant species range shifts and population declines.
• Maintaining biodiversity requires protected areas and suitable, connected habitats.
• Landscape connectivity is vital for species movement and successful colonization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify national landscape connectivity in England for key taxa.
• To model species distribution and connectivity under future climate change scenarios.
• To identify critical areas for conservation planning by mapping the future connectivity network.

Main Methods:

• Generated species distribution models for 15 taxa across three climate scenarios (current, 2050, 2090).
• Applied circuit theory analysis to model landscape connectivity.
• Used z-score standardization and identified the top decile of connectivity as the network.

Main Results:

• The landscape connectivity network showed increased permeability and diffuse species requirements.
• High connectivity areas were identified in South West/South East England and the central Pennines, indicating potential latitudinal shifts.
• The national network spanned 1,029,000 ha, with 13% within Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).

Conclusions:

• Future species distributions will require more diffuse connectivity, highlighting the need for adaptive conservation strategies.
• Specific regions in England are critical for maintaining landscape connectivity for diverse taxa.
• The study provides a framework for identifying national and regional conservation priorities to support species under climate change.