Assessing Ecological Connectivity for Loxodonta africana Across Transfrontier Conservation Areas in Southern...

Biodiversity loss driven by habitat degradation and fragmentation poses a critical threat to global ecosystems and demands conservation strategies that go beyond isolated protected areas. We assessed the functional connectivity of African bush elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Mozambique by combining Resource Selection Function modeling with connectivity analysis, focusing on the Great Limpopo and Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Areas. Our results revealed that African bush elephant habitat in the region extends well beyond the boundaries of National Parks, underscoring the critical role of unprotected and other types of protected areas in maintaining functional connectivity. The Human Modification Index was the most influential variable affecting habitat suitability (72% variable importance), and many key connectivity areas intersect with peri-urban zones and local community lands, indicating a strong spatial overlap between conservation priorities and human land use. These findings emphasize the need to develop an ecological network in the region that integrates anthropogenic pressures into conservation planning to ensure the effectiveness of ecological corridors. Synthesis and applications: Our findings identify key connectivity areas in southern Mozambique that should be prioritized for corridor management to maintain landscape-scale connectivity. Results demonstrate that integrative conservation strategies addressing shared human-wildlife spaces and promoting cross-border cooperation are essential. The identified corridors offer strategic entry points for inclusive governance, participatory land use planning, and sustainable management to support long-term elephant movement and genetic exchange across this socio-ecologically complex transboundary region.