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The National Park of Hainan Tropical Rainforest (NPHTR) plays the crucial role of an ecological barrier for Hainan Island. It also serves as a valuable repository of tropical biological heritage for the world. The scientific establishment of an ecological security pattern (ESP) for the NPHTR is therefore essential for ensuring the robustness and stability of this regional ecosystem, safeguarding tropical biodiversity, and promoting sustainable development. This study integrates ecosystem service functions (ESFs) and ecological sensitivity to identify ecological sources (ESs) so that regional integrity is promoted and ecological security is ensured. Ecological corridors (ECs) are established on the basis of a minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model and circuit theory. We integrate ESs, nodes, and corridors to construct the ESP of the NPHTR. The areas of extreme importance and sensitivity in the NPHTR account for 25.17% and 25.47% of its overall area, respectively, and are predominantly situated in the higher elevations of its eastern and central regions. Further, the ESs are mainly distributed in its western region, specifically Ba Wangling (BWL), Jian Fengling (JFL), and Ying Geling (YGL), covering an area of 1624.67 km2 (38.06% of the total area) of the NPHTR. After correction, 47 ECs with a distance of 870.9 km have been established, with BWL and YGL serving as the core areas. The ecological pinch- and barrier points in the NPHTR cover areas of 11.49 km2 and 16.35 km2, respectively, primarily consisting of man-made landscapes such as farmlands and buildings. These areas are significantly disturbed by human activities. The NPHTR has an ESP of "one screen, one district, three belts, multiple points, and multiple corridors". BWL and YGL, which contain numerous sources and corridors, are crucial ecological functional zones. To ensure the horizontal connectivity of rare wildlife, such as of Nomascus hainanus and Cervus eldii hainanus, the NPHTR should establish buffer or development zones. These findings offer valuable insights for the development and planning of ecological civilization on Hainan Island, as well as for the establishment and management of the ESP of other national parks and nature reserves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When focusing on biodiversity maintenance, ecological security pattern (ESP) planning gradually becomes a multi-objective planning strategy for sustainable development; wildlife conservation and ecosystem health maintenance should be balanced with local economic development and people's livelihood enhancement goals. This study focuses on ESP mapping in the Qinling-Daba Mountain area, which is an ecologically significant and socioeconomically underdeveloped area. The tradeoff between conservation and development is made by varying the area of ecological sources and incorporating ecosystem service tradeoffs into ecological source identification through multi-scenario designation. ESPs under six scenarios were generated based on the minimum resistance model, and the important ecological corridors and strategic points in each scenario were identified and compared. The results show the following: (1) The scenario that sets around 30 percent of the study area as ecological sources maintains the integrity of natural ecosystems and leaves space for food and material supply to residents. (2) In this scenario, the ecological sources are connected by 60 corridors that cross 137 townships with high population densities (>100 people/km2) and intersect with major traffic lines at 71 points. Engineering, management, or education strategies must be taken in these townships or intersections to avoid human–wildlife conflicts. (3) The study area needs to construct both short (north–south) corridors linking proximate ecological sources for species' daily movement and long (west–east) corridors connecting large and distant sources for species' seasonal migration and gene flow. (4) The multi-scenario approach turns out to be an effective strategy for ESP planning with considerations for development–conservation tradeoffs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological corridors are essential in facilitating the movement and dispersal of flora and fauna between separate and often isolated habitat patches. In recent years, Israel has confronted significant challenges due to the rapid pace of construction, driven in part by exceptional population growth that sets it apart on the global demographic stage. This accelerated development creates an unprecedented long-term impact on ecosystems. A key obstacle to maintaining ecological corridors is the Israeli government's decision to construct thousands of housing units using expedited plans that circumvent standard planning processes. Such projects significantly impact these corridors, given that approximately 16% of their designated areas overlap with ecological corridors. This raises two pressing questions: Can the existing ecological corridors endure these changes and remain functional, or does the role of ecological corridors need to be redefined due to increasing urban development? What are the necessary institutional frameworks required to effectively manage these corridors in an environment that is becoming progressively denser? The research focuses on two case studies in the densely populated Central District in Israel, encompassing both local and regional ecological corridors. The regulatory assessment will point out key stakeholders, identify potential threats to the corridors, and explore existing regulatory mechanisms for planning and managing these corridors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the planning challenges and opportunities in conserving national trails, focusing on the Israel National Trail. National trails offer crucial benefits, including health promotion, social connectivity, cultural education, ecological conservation, and economic growth. Despite their value, these trails face sustainability challenges from environmental impacts, resource constraints, and competing interests, often exacerbated by weak statutory protections. Using a case study approach, this study analyzes three decades of case law and planning committee decisions, uncovering real-life conflicts and challenges in trail conservation. This study uncovers issues like difficulties in preserving the trail's national identity, risks of route diversions, failure to realize ecological and economic potential, and inefficiencies in planning due to a lack of statutory footing. This study contributes to the emerging field of national trail research by proposing a retrospective methodology for identifying sustainability challenges based on practical realities and by emphasizing the need for comprehensive and transparent planning to ensure the sustainable future of national trails. Legal case studies prove to be a valuable tool for identifying conservation challenges and a significant database for developing a sustainable planning strategy. This methodology serves as a useful and globally relevant tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction and paving of road infrastructures is on the rise globally. Roads have many negative impacts on the environment, including changes and damages to landscape connectivity, fragmentation and disrupting of ecological corridors, loss of habitats, air pollution, noise pollution and light pollution. Here we aimed to examine the impacts of the construction of a major road (national Highway 6 in Israel, 188 km long) on landscape fragmentation. To this end we mapped the land cover at three-time steps: 1997 (before the construction of the road began), 2009 and 2019, quantifying both patch-based metrics (using Frgastats), the continuous metrics of landscape connectivity (using Circuitscape) and landscape continuity, adapting a before-after-control-impact methodology. Analyzing changes in those metrics for sections of the road based on their time of construction and on the distance from the highway, we found that most changes took place within a distance of up to 1 km from the new highway, starting after road construction began. We also found that the patch-based metrics and the continuous metrics were weakly correlated. We conclude that each of those different approaches has its merits and limitations, that they are complementary and that jointly they provide us with better understanding of landscape changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild boars (Sus scrofa Linnaeus) damage human activities by invading farmlands and farms in South Korea. Recently, research has been conducted to predict their mobility to prevent damage. This study predicted the movement of wild boars in Jinju-si (712.95 km2), South Korea. Home range analysis and point density analysis were conducted with the collected wild boar coordinate data, and two cost scenarios were constructed that were applied as weights in the basic resistance value (BR) based on previous studies. Using Circuitscape, the connectivity of wild boars' movement applied with the two scenarios was predicted and the results were compared. As a result of home range analysis, wild boars primarily utilized forests compared to other land types. In the result of point density, only forest and grass were identified in C5, which had the highest density. As a result of connectivity analysis, the average current density of Scenario 1 was 0.75 (max = 2.52, min = 0.20), and the average current density of Scenario 2 was 0.75 (max = 2.26, min = 0.25). The visual differences in the results of the two scenarios were not significant. However, upon closer inspection of enlarged areas, discrepancies were observed, particularly around grass near water and grass surrounding used areas. Utilizing actual wild boar data, we identified the movement routes of wild boars, enhancing the ability to predict areas where they may appear. This study can be used as basic data when preparing damage prevention measures or establishing wild boar management plans in areas where wild boars are expected to appear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: As the global urbanization process accelerates, the contradiction between economic development demands and ecological protection becomes increasingly prominent. Methods: In this study, we simulated the evolution of the ecological security pattern (ESP) of Pingtan Island from 2000 to 2020 by extracting the ecological sources using Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI), and identifying the ecological corridors and key nodes by combining with Linkage Mapping (LM) and Circuit Theory. In addition, Geodetector was utilized to identify these major determinants affecting RSEI. Results: The results showed 1) From 2000 to 2020, the ecological environmental quality (EEQ) of Pingtan Island continued to improve, and the mean value of RSEI gradually increased from 0.47 to 0.51. 2) Univariate analysis showed that elevation and slope were the most significant factors affecting the spatial variability of the RSEI, with the interaction between slope and proportion of built-up area having a significant effect on EEQ. 3) The number and extent of ecological sources were expanded year by year with significant spatial variability. At the same time, the number and range of ecological corridors also underwent phase adjustment. 4) Further exploration of ESP of Pingtan Island in 2020 identified 32 ecological pinch points (EPPs) and 52 ecological barrier points (EBPs), which were mainly located within or near the ecological corridors, indicating key areas for future ecological restoration efforts. Discussion: These insights help to enhance urban spatial planning and ecosystem restoration on Pingtan Island and provide a blueprint for ESP development in comparable island urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanization has a comprehensive impact on the patterns of regional ecological security (ESPs) in the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City, China (SSGKC). This study aims to propose recommendations for ensuring regional ecological security by conducting a spatiotemporal dynamic assessment of ESPs. The findings reveal that SSGKC has experienced rapid urbanization in the past decade, resulting in more than doubling of construction land. The results indicate that the area of the largest 10 patches of ESs decreased by 13.5%. Two largest patches of ESs in the southwest became smaller and were out of the top 10 patches in 2020. The expansion of construction land has encroached upon key ecological corridors (ECs). Two ECs connecting the eastern and central regions have shifted southward. Landscape pattern indexes demonstrate that not only has the area of ESs decreased, but they have also become more fragmented. This study also utilized the Urban Development Boundary (UDB) and FLUS model to simulate and predict the potential impact of future land use change on ESPs. Policymakers are advised to optimize the UDB by excluding areas that overlap with ESs and key ECs, in order to minimize the potential occupation of ESs and ECs in the future. The circular ECs connecting the eastern and central regions should be given priority planned and protection.

Copyright of Arid Zone Research / Ganhanqu Yanjiu is the property of Arid Zone Research Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The suitable habitat of endangered Ephedra species has been severely threatened and affected by climate change and anthropogenic activities; however, their migration trends and restoration strategies are still relatively understudied. In this study, we utilized the MaxEnt model to simulate the suitable habitats of five endangered Ephedra species in China under current and future climate scenarios. Additionally, we identified significant ecological corridors by incorporating the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model. Under the current climate scenario, the suitable area of Ephedra equisetina Bunge, Ephedra intermedia Schrenk ex Mey, Ephedra sinica Stapf, and Ephedra monosperma Gmel ex Mey comprised 16% of the area in China, while Ephedra rhytidosperma Pachom comprised only 0.05%. The distribution patterns of these five Ephedra species were primarily influenced by altitude, salinity, temperature, and precipitation. Under future climate scenarios, the suitable areas of E. equisetina, E. intermedia, and E. sinica are projected to expand, while that of E. monosperma is expected to contract. Notably, E. rhytidosperma will lose its suitable area in the future. Our identified ecological corridors showed that the first-level corridors encompassed a wider geographical expanse, incorporating E. equisetina, E. intermedia, E. sinica, and E. monosperma, while that of E. rhytidosperma exhibited a shorter length and covered fewer geographical areas. Overall, our study provides novel insights into identifying priority protected areas and protection strategies targeting endangered Ephedra species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, landscape fragmentation has become increasingly serious due to the impact of human activities. The ecological network can ensure the ecological function of the region through linearly connecting ecological corridors and effectively solving the problem of landscape fragmentation that occurs in the evolution of landscape patterns. Based on MSPA and MCR models, the article analyses the distribution and changes of landscape types in the Haihe River basin and constructs an ecological network in the study area by combining the local ecological characteristics of the basin. The network structure is optimized in the end by selecting three large stepping stones, constructing 69 internal ecological stepping stones, identifying 212 fracture points, and adding seven ecological corridors to build a point–line surface network structure with an internal and external double‐loop structure. The connectivity of the network structure is evaluated by using complex network method. It is calculated that the network connectivity performance is improved by 13.95% after optimization, which means the species exchange in the study area is closer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Springtails can occur in large populations on the snow surface. This peculiar habitat hosts specialized winter-active springtails living in colonies and using this seasonal habitat for feeding, effective dispersal and migration. Snow-active species have never been studied in Southern European Alps: the aim of this work is to study snow-active springtails of Adamello-Brenta Nature Park ("PNAB"; Italy), a peripheral mountain range of relevant biogeographic interest using integrative taxonomy. Springtail "bloomings" were sampled for 17 months by an environmental assistant of the park. Nine assemblages of springtails were found when temperatures were higher than 0 °C; eight were monospecific, with a total of five species found. The snow-active springtail fauna found includes both common Central-Northern European nival species like Desoria hiemalis (first record for Italy, although genetically differentiated from Northern Alps populations), Ceratophysella sigillata (known in Italy mainly from caves) and three species likely new to science (Hypogastrura cf. kelmendica sp1, Hypogastrura cf. kelmendica sp2, H. cf. peloponnesica, all belonging to the Hypogastrura socialisgroup). Snow is an important ephemeral habitat for springtails, for the biodiversity hosted and for its importance as an ecological corridor. We could hypothesize that snow, especially in peripheral mountain chains, acts as a fragmentary ephemeral habitat for those cold-adapted springtails. This could constitute a relevant aspect to take into consideration for conservation biology, especially in the context of the ongoing climate change. On the other hand, the Alpine chain probably acts as an ecological barrier for nival species, since isolated species and populations were found in PNAB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological corridors, as a key component of ecological networks (EN), can strengthen linkages between ecological sources and effectively prevent further fragmentation and loss of regional habitats. Understanding the structure of ecological corridors and exploring their resilience in different scenarios can facilitate the understanding on the flows of energy and materials between ecological sources that can contribute to landscape conservation and restoration. In this study, the agro-pastoral ecotone of the North Yinshan Mountain was used as an example to conduct the landscape EN analysis with corridors as the focus. Random attack, overgrazing and urban sprawl, incremental optimization, and arterial corridors conservation scenarios were constructed. Network cascade failure simulations are introduced to explore the stability of EN under four scenarios. Among them, 12 new ecological corridors were optimized at 9 nodes, and 158 arterial corridors connected the 159 ecological sources to form the backbone of the EN. Both the arterial corridors conservation scheme and the optimization scheme of additional edges play important roles in maintaining the resilience of the EN. This provides scientific decisions for the categorization and conservation of ecological corridors to ensure the ecological integrity of functional landscapes.

Climate change significantly impacts ecological resistance and ecological corridors. However, the difficulty in evaluating this impact lies in two crucial issues: (i) the uncertainty arising from spatial heterogeneity, and (ii) the diversity of impacts arising from this uncertainty. A set pair analysis (SPA) model is designed to assess the impact of climate change on ecological resistance and ecological corridors for addressing the aforementioned problems. First, the ecological resistance and corridors under different climate change scenarios are simulated. Then, the five-element connection number is used to reflect changes in ecological resistance and corridors influenced by climate change and uncertainty. Finally, the influence indices are constructed to quantify the three distinct impacts of climate change on them. The evaluation results for Jiangxi Province are as follows. (i) The province’s UR index values are 0.085, 0.127, 0.351, 0.501, and 0.468 under five climate change scenarios, respectively. The impact of climate change on ecological resistance is rapidly deteriorating, and the central region is the high-value center for future ecological resistance. (ii) The values of UC in the central and southern regions range from − 0.568 to − 0.320 and from − 0.816 to − 0.446, respectively. In the two regions, the assessments of the impact of climate change on ecological corridors are negative, which results in a reduction in connectivity. (iii) The crucial meteorological risks with the greatest impact on ecological resistance and corridors are floods and high-temperature disasters. (iv) The proposals for Jiangxi Province to address climate change are as follows: enhancing flood prevention, improving high-temperature monitoring, and establishing an ecological management system. (v) The SPA model can effectively assess the different impacts of climate change with spatial uncertainty on ecological resistance and corridors.

The National Park of Hainan Tropical Rainforest (NPHTR) plays the crucial role of an ecological barrier for Hainan Island. It also serves as a valuable repository of tropical biological heritage for the world. The scientific establishment of an ecological security pattern (ESP) for the NPHTR is therefore essential for ensuring the robustness and stability of this regional ecosystem, safeguarding tropical biodiversity, and promoting sustainable development. This study integrates ecosystem service functions (ESFs) and ecological sensitivity to identify ecological sources (ESs) so that regional integrity is promoted and ecological security is ensured. Ecological corridors (ECs) are established on the basis of a minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model and circuit theory. We integrate ESs, nodes, and corridors to construct the ESP of the NPHTR. The areas of extreme importance and sensitivity in the NPHTR account for 25.17% and 25.47% of its overall area, respectively, and are predominantly situated in the higher elevations of its eastern and central regions. Further, the ESs are mainly distributed in its western region, specifically Ba Wangling (BWL), Jian Fengling (JFL), and Ying Geling (YGL), covering an area of 1624.67 km2 (38.06% of the total area) of the NPHTR. After correction, 47 ECs with a distance of 870.9 km have been established, with BWL and YGL serving as the core areas. The ecological pinch- and barrier points in the NPHTR cover areas of 11.49 km2 and 16.35 km2, respectively, primarily consisting of man-made landscapes such as farmlands and buildings. These areas are significantly disturbed by human activities. The NPHTR has an ESP of “one screen, one district, three belts, multiple points, and multiple corridors”. BWL and YGL, which contain numerous sources and corridors, are crucial ecological functional zones. To ensure the horizontal connectivity of rare wildlife, such as of Nomascus hainanus and Cervus eldii hainanus, the NPHTR should establish buffer or development zones. These findings offer valuable insights for the development and planning of ecological civilization on Hainan Island, as well as for the establishment and management of the ESP of other national parks and nature reserves.

When focusing on biodiversity maintenance, ecological security pattern (ESP) planning gradually becomes a multi-objective planning strategy for sustainable development; wildlife conservation and ecosystem health maintenance should be balanced with local economic development and people’s livelihood enhancement goals. This study focuses on ESP mapping in the Qinling-Daba Mountain area, which is an ecologically significant and socioeconomically underdeveloped area. The tradeoff between conservation and development is made by varying the area of ecological sources and incorporating ecosystem service tradeoffs into ecological source identification through multi-scenario designation. ESPs under six scenarios were generated based on the minimum resistance model, and the important ecological corridors and strategic points in each scenario were identified and compared. The results show the following: (1) The scenario that sets around 30 percent of the study area as ecological sources maintains the integrity of natural ecosystems and leaves space for food and material supply to residents. (2) In this scenario, the ecological sources are connected by 60 corridors that cross 137 townships with high population densities (>100 people/km2) and intersect with major traffic lines at 71 points. Engineering, management, or education strategies must be taken in these townships or intersections to avoid human–wildlife conflicts. (3) The study area needs to construct both short (north–south) corridors linking proximate ecological sources for species’ daily movement and long (west–east) corridors connecting large and distant sources for species’ seasonal migration and gene flow. (4) The multi-scenario approach turns out to be an effective strategy for ESP planning with considerations for development–conservation tradeoffs.

Ecological corridors are essential in facilitating the movement and dispersal of flora and fauna between separate and often isolated habitat patches. In recent years, Israel has confronted significant challenges due to the rapid pace of construction, driven in part by exceptional population growth that sets it apart on the global demographic stage. This accelerated development creates an unprecedented long-term impact on ecosystems. A key obstacle to maintaining ecological corridors is the Israeli government’s decision to construct thousands of housing units using expedited plans that circumvent standard planning processes. Such projects significantly impact these corridors, given that approximately 16% of their designated areas overlap with ecological corridors. This raises two pressing questions: Can the existing ecological corridors endure these changes and remain functional, or does the role of ecological corridors need to be redefined due to increasing urban development? What are the necessary institutional frameworks required to effectively manage these corridors in an environment that is becoming progressively denser? The research focuses on two case studies in the densely populated Central District in Israel, encompassing both local and regional ecological corridors. The regulatory assessment will point out key stakeholders, identify potential threats to the corridors, and explore existing regulatory mechanisms for planning and managing these corridors.

The Western Ghats of India is rich in variety of flora and fauna and specially known for its endemism. The growing urbanization, expansion of agriculture and other anthropogenic interferences results in forest fragmentation and degradation of habitat. Spatio-temporal changes in forest cover and the variation in forest fragmentation in the Anjaneri, Panchgani, and Kas Plateau regions of the Western Ghats for the years between 1989 and 2015 were assessed. Thematic maps of the area were generated using multitemporal satellite images and geospatial techniques for the years of 1989, 1999, 2006, and 2015. Substantial decline in area under forest cover of the study area occurred during this period. Deforestation at Panchagani in comparison is higher than that at Aanjaneri and Kas. The causes of decline in area under forest are increasing area under agriculture, expansion of plantation agriculture, increasing built-up area and tourism infrastructure development. The forest fragmentation analysis revealed increase in the number of forest patches and decrease in patch size over the period. Rapid landscape transformation at the outer edges of the forest regions effects more habitat fragmentation and loss within the core forest area. The Anjaneri, Panchgani and Kas Plateau regions are ecologically and culturally significant. There is an urgent need of forest conservation measures and sustainable land-use planning which includes control of deforestation, promoting reforestation efforts, and improving landscape connectivity by establishing ecological corridors. The study also recommends policies based on principle of judicious balance in development activities with consideration preservation and restoration of the natural environment to preserving the environmental stability of this biodiversity hotspot region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Formatio Circumiectus is the property of Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Rolniczego im. Hugona Kollataja w Krakowie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Animal movement throughout the landscape is a key concept for population viability. Human footprint can reduce animal movement through barrier effects such as habitat change and fragmentation, or through enhanced resources. Artificial light at night (ALAN) can affect the movement of nocturnal animals such as bats that are highly mobile in the landscape. Very few studies have explicitly quantified the choices that moving bats make when they encounter a light source on their flight routes. We assessed whether ALAN of different colours (green, red and white) compared to control conditions affected the use of ecological corridors, considering (i) activity and (ii) movement along the corridor, for open, edge (i.e. light‐opportunistic) and narrow‐space (i.e. light‐averse) foraging bats. We modelled the effects of 28 independent lampposts at four experimental sites on bat activity and movement (i.e. the number of trajectories towards the lamppost and the probability of lamppost crossing). Each lamppost was sampled two to three times over eight complete nights using paired passive acoustic stereo recorders to record bat activity and reconstruct bat trajectories. Narrow‐space foragers were much less active in presence of any light source, and fewer flew towards any lit lampposts. Open and edge‐space foragers were more active close to white and green lights, and to a lesser extent red light, compared to unlit control sites. Edge‐space foragers overall flew more towards white and green lampposts, but had a lower probability of fully crossing a white and red‐lighted site. The study shows that ALAN can strongly alter bat movements along landscape structures, for light‐averse but also light‐opportunistic species. Such changes in flight behaviour may involve bypasses or detours, which may force bats to fly longer distances at night which could ultimately affect fitness. Our findings suggest that avoiding artificial lighting close to flight routes will benefit bats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Habitat fragmentation is one of the major causes of the loss of biodiversity that our planet is experiencing. This has affected the ecosystems functioning and, consequently, the provision of ecosystem services (ES). Therefore, the European Commission, in a 2013 communication, established the concept of Green Infrastructure (GI), which is a strategically planned network of multifunctional areas with the aim of protecting biodiversity and ES supply, as well as improving ecological connectivity. Ecological restoration is an essential element to achieve the objectives of the GI, which if well targeted, could reverse widespread ecosystem degradation and improve landscape connectivity. Objective: In this study, we propose a methodology to prioritise areas to restore by identifying a GI in the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve (UBR), in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, where forest plantations of exotic species abound. Methods: In order to identify the elements of the GI (core areas and corridors) we integrated a multispecies approach based on the movement of key species and an ES-based approach based on multifunctionality. Subsequently, to prioritise areas to restore we identified sectors in the GI, where connectivity is particularly vulnerable (pinch points) using the circuit theory. Thus, forest plantations around the pinch points were prioritised for a future restoration plans depending on their aim: (1) Improve corridors of high importance and low quality for the multispecies approach (2) Improve corridors of high importance and low quality for the ES-based approach, and (3) Improve the connectivity of the GI for the species movement. Results: The resultant GI included 36% of the UBR surface. We identified 34 pinch points for the corridors of the three especies in the multispecies approach and 64 in the ES-based approach. We prioritised 149 ha of exotic forest plantations around the pinch points to convert into native forest in order to improve the corridors and 167 ha to improve GI connectivity. Conclusion: This information could be useful for organizations and institutions carrying out restoration actions for the recovering of native forests in the territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Drove roads are landscape corridors traditionally used for livestock movement in many regions of the world, including Spain, where they cover about 0.8% of the land. They have ecological importance due to their role in connectivity, seed dispersal, soil preservation, habitat and biodiversity conservation, and the provision of ecosystem services. Drove roads are experiencing deterioration due to the abandonment of extensive grazing and transhumance. Objectives: We aim to characterize the conservation status and main predictors of deterioration of the drove roads in the Community of Madrid, a region in Spain with a high presence of these corridors. Methods: We considered all the network of the region, with the main analyses based on a sample of 160 segments of 200 m-long, which were evaluated using GIS and fieldwork. Results: Nearly one third of the network surface is occupied by crops, communication infrastructure, and urban or industrial surfaces. Natural habitats make up 60% of the network and are affected by soil degradation and grazing abandonment. Landscape matrix was the main predictor of drove road status, with urban and cropland matrices leading to a reduction in spatial integrity and availability for natural habitats. Grazing was most preserved in grassland matrices. Eco-district, drove road width, and distance to city center also had influence on conservation status. Conclusions: Despite their concerning state, the network is restorable in many areas of the region. Restoration should focus on intensified and simplified landscapes, where the network plays a more decisive role, and should consider the reintroduction of livestock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bulletin of Soil & Water Conservation is the property of Bulletin of Soil & Water Conservation Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Building an ecological security pattern (ESP) can safeguard and improve the structure, functions and services of regional ecosystems. Furthermore, it is also one of the significant spatial methods to mitigate the conflict between ecological conservation and economic growth. Most previous researches on the construction of ESP have directly utilized extensive regions of forestland, grassland, water area or nature reserves as ecological sources (ESs) without weighing the habitat quality (HQ) and ecological protection red line (EPRL). The ES of the Dawen River basin (DRB) was identified through morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) and landscape connectivity index. By employing the minimum cumulative resistance model (MCR), the potential ecological corridor (EC) was identified, and its importance was evaluated by gravity model. Simultaneously, the spatial properties of HQ and ecological resistance (ER) were analyzed. Finally, this paper proposed an optimization strategy for ESP in accordance with the EPRL. The results indicate that: (1) The DRB contained 15 important ESs, mainly concentrated in water and mountain forest areas. (2) 105 ECs were extracted by MCR and gravity model, including 35 level 1 corridors and 70 level 2 corridors, which were primarily concentrated in the eastern region of the basin. (3) Based on the spatial characteristics of HQ and ER, as well as the EPRL in the research, the ESP of “one axis, two belts and five zones” in the DRB was constructed and control strategies were proposed. This research offers some reference for ecological environment protection and restoration and regional sustainable development in the Yellow River basin.

Purpose. Search for important areas for the presence of the brown bear (Ursus arctos) within the Transcarpathian region using geoinformation modeling tools to optimize the boundaries of the structural elements of the econetwork. Methods. Geoinformation modeling, geospatial analysis, processing of stock materials of environmental protection services. Results. In order to delineate potentially important areas for the presence of the brown bear (Ursus arctos) within the Transcarpathian region, a comprehensive assessment of the natural environment was carried out using geoinformation modeling tools. This modeling involved a preliminary analysis of the suitability for the life of the species of the following five parameters: types of land cover, proximity of non-forest biotopes to forest, high-altitude bioclimatic zones, degrees of dismemberment of the terrain, distance from settlements and roads. As a result of the integral assessment of these parameters, a cartographic model "Integral suitability of biotopes for the presence of the brown bear (Ursus arctos)" was obtained, which also demonstrated the habitats recorded by experts and the places of registration of the species. It was established that the total area of territories that are potentially suitable for the brown bear (Ursus arctos) within Transcarpathian region is 574.6 thousand hectares, and covers about 45.1% of the territory of the region. The largest number of such habitats is concentrated in the mountainous southwestern part of the region within the orographic ecoregion of the elevated dissected highlands. The most suitable and suitable biotopes, formed as a result of modeling, are also found within the boundaries of Gorganska Verhovyna (on the border of Transcarpathian and Ivano-Frankivsk regions), which belongs to the ecoregion of elevated lowlands. The simulated territories correlate well enough with localities where real signs of the distribution of the species have been recorded. At the second stage of research, in accordance with the chosen methodology, a cartographic model of "Potentially important areas for the presence of the brown bear" was obtained, on which the population, reproduction and other areas, as well as key areas of the region's eco-network and nature protection areas were outlined. Spatial features of the location of population and breeding areas in other morphogenic ecoregions of the Carpathians were also characterized, natural and anthropogenic obstacles and threats to the species' migration and survival were identified. It is noted that the natural conditions of the border are favorable for the migration of mammals from Romania, Slovakia and Poland, which is also confirmed by monitoring studies conducted by environmental protection institutions, forestry and hunting management, etc. Conclusions. The Transcarpathian region has favorable conditions for the existence of the brown bear (Ursus Arctos), in particular, a large share of forest ecosystems, the presence of hard-to-reach areas, a decrease in the population of small mountain villages, etc. However, the constant development of recreational and energy infrastructure can lead to the fragmentation of the natural environment. Therefore, the areas outlined by us, which are important for the presence of the brown bear (Ursus arctos), can be the basis for optimizing the boundaries of the structural elements of the eco-network of the mountainous part of the Transcarpathian region. In the future, it is necessary to continue monitoring studies on the presence of the brown bear within the key territories of the Zakarpattia econetwork and to more clearly delimit ecological corridors with the implementation of measures to comply with the norms of environmental protection restrictions.

Safeguarding ecological security is one of China's important development strategies. Identifying ecological security patterns (ESPs) is an effective way to collaboratively develop ecological and environmental security in different regions. Currently, studies on the construction of regional ESPs mainly focus on the innovation of ecosystem service functions, ignoring the differences in ecological sensitivities of different ecological environments on a large scale. In this paper, taking the Yellow River Basin (YRB) as an example, six important ecosystem service functions were selected to identify ecological sources (ESs), ecological sensitivity weights were set according to the ecological environment characteristics of different regions, and the ecological resistance surfaces (ERSs) were determined. And the ESPs of the YRB were further investigated based on the Minimum Cumulative Resistance (MCR) model and circuit theory. The research findings indicate:(1) We had identified 218 ESs on the YRB, covering an area of 387,165 km2, which was 19.36 % of the entire study area and highly concentrated in the upstream areas. There were 532 ecological corridors (ECs) identified with a total length of 39,015.95 km, with less distribution in the lower reaches of the YRB. There were 201 ecological pinch points (EPPs) mainly in forests and grasslands. (2) ERSs constructed with different sensitivities weights had a significant impact on the distribution of ECs and EPPs. There were significant variations in the ESPs of the YRB. The upstream areas were notably more secure than the middle and lower reaches, indicating an overall lower level of ecological security. (3) Different ecological sensitivity weights were adopted in different regions, which was more suitable for the construction of ESPs with regional environmental differences. This study provides a wise direction for coordinating the ecological protection and achieving high-quality development in the YRB.

Rapid urbanization has put the marine environment under great threat, and cities in the Bay Bottom area are more likely to cause a large number of ecological problems in urban development and construction due to their special land-sea interaction environment. Ecological network is an effective solution to coordinate regional ecological protection and sustainable urban development. This study focused on Chengyang District, one of the highly urbanized areas at the bottom of Jiaozhou Bay in Qingdao, China, was using Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA) to initially identify ecological source areas and extracting important ecological source areas in conjunction with the landscape connectivity assessment, and was determining ecological resistance values based on the importance of ecosystem services, and was optimizing ecological network by the minimum cumulative resistance model (MCR) and network structure analysis. The results indicated that: (1) the habitat in Chengyang District is severely fragmented, and the ecological network structure has significant features in terms of source area, type and corridor distribution, with a low percentage of source area, identification of characteristic source types such as reservoirs, wetlands, and aquaculture ponds, while the corridors are concentrated in the area of rivers and bays, and there is fragmentation in the inland areas of the city. (2) Preliminarily, 15 ecological source sites were identified, mainly distributed in the vicinity of Jiaozhou Bay Wetland, Jihongtan Reservoir and Laoshan Mountain, among which, Jiaozhou Bay Wetland is the most important ecological source in Chengyang District. Thirty-two ecological nodes and 24 ecological corridors were constructed. (3) By increasing the inland ecological sources in Chengyang District, the optimized ecological network forms a spatial pattern of “four cores, three belts, and four districts”, and proposes and formulates targeted ecological protection and management strategies to promote the sustainable development of the urban areas in the bottom of the bay. In addition, this study provides a new reference for the global ecological protection of cities in the bay area by improving the ecological network of cities in the Bay Bottom area.

We address a generalization of the concept of metapopulation capacity for trees and networks acting as the template for ecological interactions. The original measure had been derived from an insightful phenomenological model and is based on the leading eigenvalue of a suitable landscape matrix. It yields a versatile predictor of metapopulation persistence through a threshold value of the eigenvalue determined by ecological features of the focal species. Here, we present an analytical solution to a fundamental microscopic model that incorporates key ingredients of metapopulation dynamics and explicitly distinguishes between individuals comprising the "settled population" and "explorers" seeking colonization. Our approach accounts for general network characteristics (in particular graph-driven directional dispersal which is known to significantly constrain many ecological estimates) and yields a generalized version of the original model, to which it reduces for particular cases. Through examples, including real landscapes used as the template, we compare the predictions from our approach with those of the standard model. Results suggest that in several cases of practical interest, differences are significant. We also examine, with both models, how changes in habitat fragmentation, including removal, addition, or alteration in size, affect metapopulation persistence. The current approach demonstrates a high level of flexibility, enabling the incorporation of diverse "microscopic" elements and their impact on the resulting biodiversity landscape pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functioning of ecological corridors as passages to central regions of Eastern Fennoscandia for mammals characterized by population oscillations, high migratory activity, and the consequential dispersal beyond the historical distribution ranges (wild boar, roe deer) is described. Invasions of new species into Eastern Fennoscandia as a result of introductions and natural dispersal (muskrat, American mink, Canadian beaver, racoon dog, white-tailed deer, and sika deer) are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 2010 and 2020 a study was conducted on the functionality of the ecological corridors within the San José de Matadepantano farm, a property of 811 ha located in plains piedmont, which alternates poorly drained savannas, swamps, and forests, with land uses for agriculture, livestock, and the infrastructure of a rural university campus. To evaluate the functionality of the forest corridors, length, amplitude, coverage area, and continuity metrics within the landscape were estimated using multiannual LANDSAT images; additionally, field visits were made to record possible forest gaps that could affect the flow of fauna through the corridors. In order to determine the functionality of the stream corridors, four sampling points were chosen along caños Tiestal and Güio, where physiographic and bathymetric profiles were modeled using the SURFER 15 software, in addition, spatial heterogeneity was calculated using the Shannon-Wiener index, physiognomy and floristic composition of the streamside vegetation was represented in scale graphic profiles, the percent distribution of aquatic habitats was determined and species diversity of fish communities was calculated. Findings obtained during the last decade allow us to conclude that the ecological corridors maintain their functionality with an active biotic flow in both forest and stream corridors. However, critical points were detected where the forests could lose their connectivity, which would affect the sustainability and transit of regional biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The suitable habitat of endangered Ephedra species has been severely threatened and affected by climate change and anthropogenic activities; however, their migration trends and restoration strategies are still relatively understudied. In this study, we utilized the MaxEnt model to simulate the suitable habitats of five endangered Ephedra species in China under current and future climate scenarios. Additionally, we identified significant ecological corridors by incorporating the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model. Under the current climate scenario, the suitable area of Ephedra equisetina Bunge, Ephedra intermedia Schrenk ex Mey, Ephedra sinica Stapf, and Ephedra monosperma Gmel ex Mey comprised 16% of the area in China, while Ephedra rhytidosperma Pachom comprised only 0.05%. The distribution patterns of these five Ephedra species were primarily influenced by altitude, salinity, temperature, and precipitation. Under future climate scenarios, the suitable areas of E. equisetina, E. intermedia, and E. sinica are projected to expand, while that of E. monosperma is expected to contract. Notably, E. rhytidosperma will lose its suitable area in the future. Our identified ecological corridors showed that the first-level corridors encompassed a wider geographical expanse, incorporating E. equisetina, E. intermedia, E. sinica, and E. monosperma, while that of E. rhytidosperma exhibited a shorter length and covered fewer geographical areas. Overall, our study provides novel insights into identifying priority protected areas and protection strategies targeting endangered Ephedra species.

Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) promotes the sustainable human activities development and uses in the marine space, playing a role in their effective management. The enhancement of connectivity is crucial for the conservation of biodiversity and landscape planning. Ecological Corridors (ECs) are an important type of connectivity for biodiversity conservation in fragmented habitats. The EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 includes ECs into the network of protected areas and allows for the creation of additional protected areas. MSP studies considering ECs remain still lacking, especially for the design of networks between Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs). In this paper, knowledge, and tools for investigating marine ECs were reviewed, with a systematic bibliometric analysis to summarize the current scientific research. Previous studies integrating ecological connectivity into planning for marine conservation have focused on models of larval dispersal, adult movements, and dispersal of single species by using benthic habitat proxies. Few studies were found on ECs in marine environments: in the coral Caribbean reef systems in the Gulf of Mexico; within benthic habitats along the Pacific coast of Canada; between MPAs in British Columbia (Canada); and by analyzing migratory species in the Yangtze estuary (China). Commonly used approaches to project and map ECs in marine environments are least-cost and circuit theories allowing to incorporate movement with cost or resistance to movement, depending on species and preferred habitats. The systematic bibliometric analysis returned 25 studies, most of which were from North America (40%) and European countries (36%) and the largest share of papers (68%) from 2018 to 2022. This review pinpointed the need of integrating different disciplines to investigate connectivity and the need by policymakers and practitioners to recognize the importance of ecological connectivity, even there are significant challenges for integrating connectivity into policies, planning, and conservation.

Driven by both natural and anthropogenic interference, ecological issues are prevalent in China's environmentally vulnerable areas. The creation of an eco-security model can serve as the empirical basis for environmental rehabilitation. In this study, the agro-pastoral interconnected zone in northern Shaanxi, quintessential ecologically frangible area in the Yellow River basin, is utilized as the research area to analyze the spatio-temporal characteristics of land use and landscape ecological risk from 1990 to 2020, and to construct and optimize the eco-security model based on the identification of ecological corridors, ecological pinchpoints and ecological barriers. The results show (1) Grassland and arable land make up the majority of the landscape matrix, with a rise in the size of woodland and built-up and a considerable decrease in unused land being the preponderating features of land use change. (2) From 1990 to 2020, there is a dynamic shift trend in the landscape ecological risk, initially dropping and then increasing. The territory is primarily in a region of medium–low risk, with a northerly high and a southern low distribution pattern. (3) The eco-security model consists of 9 ecological sources, 13 ecological corridors, 31 ecological pinchpoints, and 35 ecological barriers. The optimized eco-security model shows a distribution pattern of “one center, three belts and four districts”. The outcome of the research can supply a reference for the construction of eco-security model in ecologically fragile areas as well as ecological governance and high-quality development within the region.

The accelerated urbanization process has led to the deterioration of the originally fragile coastal ecosystem, whose slight changes in ecological environment may destroy the original coastal urban ecosystem. The construction of the ecological security pattern can effectively balance the development of coastal urban areas and the protection of ecological environment. This study proposes a new framework for constructing ESP in coastal urban areas: surfaces (ecological sources) - lines (ecological networks) - points (pinch points, barrier points). The ecological sources were identified by morphospatial pattern analysis and landscape connectivity. Then, the ecological network and ESP were constructed by the circuit theory. Take Qingdao, a typical coastal urban area with a very fragile ecological environment, as the subject of the study. The results indicate that: (1) the landscape connectivity of ecological source sites identified in 2017 and 2021 has decreased significantly; (2) the total length of extracted ecological corridors has decreased dramatically; (3) the ESP of Qingdao was constructed from the perspective of surfaces - lines - points. The results of this paper can provide scientific planning guidance for the conservation and protection of ecological security in Qingdao. The research framework proposed in this paper provides some reference for the conservation of the ecological environment in coastal urban areas.

Serious ecological crises have emerged in the Asian Water Tower region (17 countries centered on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau), making it a major priority and challenge for Asian and even global ecological conservation efforts. Constructing a multi-leveled ecological security pattern (ESP) based on the synergies among multiple ecosystem services (ESs) for this region can enhance the structural integrity, functional stability, and spatial connectivity of ecosystems. Therefore, based on a series of GIS spatial analysis methods, the minimum cumulative resistance model, and the analytic hierarchy process, this study measured the importance of five key ESs focused by Sustainable Development Goal 15 (including water conservation, carbon sequestration, sand fixation, soil conservation, and biodiversity conservation); and took fishnet scale as data calculation unit to construct a hierarchical ESP (including three levels of ecological sources and corridors) to provide evidence-based support for identifying and prioritizing synergistic conservation actions across scales (regions, nations, and basins). Overall, the ESP included a total of 534 sources and 656 corridors. Some key conservation obstacles in the region (e.g., edge effects and several human activities) and corresponding priority actions are provided, such as integrating the ESPs into long-term planning, enhancing the conservation and the restoration of both the extent and the quality of forests (e.g., increasing tree species richness), and increasing collaboration across scales for resource mobilization and synergistic land use.

The establishment of ecological networks is crucial for biodiversity conservation, especially at broad spatial scales. It is still challenging to develop an ecological network construction method based on landscape connectivity for multiple species. The purpose of this study is to propose a multi-species framework approach for constructing ecological networks and determine the restoration priority for four focal mammal species across the protected areas in the western mountains of Henan Province, China. We built ecological networks for each species by using circuit theory and least-cost path models, and integrated the ecological corridors and key barrier areas to determine the restoration priority for multiple species. The results showed that the connectivity of the ecological network was closely related to the species dispersal capacity. For species with higher dispersal capacity, all core areas were interconnected and have multiple alternative paths, and the network of protected areas seemed to be well connected. With the decline of species dispersal ability, ecological networks became more complex and not well connected, and more migration corridors that exceed species dispersal capability have emerged. It was important to consider the needs for species-specific management plans. Key ecological corridors and barrier areas, which have significant impacts on species migration, are mainly land use areas dominated by cropland. Our research indicates that the methods proposed in this study can help determine the restoration priority of key ecological corridors and barrier areas, which may facilitate conservation efforts for multiple species, especially in areas with poor species distribution and movement data.

Aim: The maintenance of broad‐scale connectivity patterns is suggested as a sustainable strategy for biodiversity preservation. However, explicit approaches for quantifying the functional role of different areas in biogeographic connectivity have been elusive. Freshwaters are spatially structured ecosystems critically endangered because of human activities and global change, demanding connectivity‐based approaches for their conservation. Mass effects—the increase in local diversity by immigration—and corridor effects—the connections with distant communities—are basic and relevant mechanisms connecting diversity with landscape configuration. Here, we identified freshwater hotspots areas for mass and corridor effects across Europe. Location: Europe. Methods: Using satellite images, we quantified the areas of ephemeral, temporal and permanent freshwaters. The landscape structure of the freshwater ecoregions was represented as a directed‐graph, and the link weights were determined by the distance between cells and the water cover. Three centrality metrics were used to rank freshwater areas with respect to their potential role in dispersal‐mediated mechanisms. Out‐degree represents the potential of an area to operate as a diversity source to other regions. In‐degree reflects the importance that incoming dispersal may have in local diversity. Betweenness refers to the importance of local areas for connecting other distant areas. Results: We detected great concentrations of source hotspots on the northern regions associated to lentic ecosystems, main European rivers acting as ecological corridors for all freshwaters, and a mixed distribution of connectivity hotspots in southern and Mediterranean ecoregions, associated with lentic and/or lotic systems. Main Conclusions: We showed an explicit connection between landscape structure and dispersal process at large geographic scales, highlighting hotspots of connectivity for the European waterscape. The spatial distribution of hotspots points to differences in landscape configurations potentially accounting for biogeographic diversity patterns and for mechanisms that have to be considered in conservation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological security pattern construction is a fundamental approach to ensuring regional ecological security and enhancing human welfare. Taking Henan Province, a typical region of China's main agricultural production area, as the study area, we use multi-source spatial data to calculate the high-value areas of ecosystem services and identify ecological source sites. On the basis of calculating the degree of land use development and GDP per land and population density to determine high-demand areas of the ecosystem, the ecological resistance surface coefficient is modified with nighttime lighting data, and the ecological corridor between the source site and the high-demand area is extracted using the minimum cumulative resistance model, so as to construct and optimize the regional ecological security pattern. The following results are presented. (1) The total area of ecological source sites in Henan Province is 3.02 × 104 km2, accounting for 18.12% of the total study area, which is concentrated in the mountainous areas of East Henan and South Henan. (2) The high-demand area of ecosystem services has a total area of 4.1 × 104 km2, accounting for 24.73% of the total study area, mainly concentrated in the central and eastern regions of Henan, with poor spatial matching of ecosystem service supply and demand. (3) The total length of ecological corridors is 1062.3 km, and the overall pattern forms the main corridor axes. The identification of ecological corridors focuses on the ecological demand space and puts forward suggestions for the optimization of the regional ecological security pattern based on it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The movement corridors for waterside animals, such as waterbirds, have been studied less than those of terrestrial animals. To clarify the role of rivers as movement corridors in urban areas, we investigated the movements of waterbirds in central Tokyo, Japan. This study was carried out around the Sumida River in the winter of 2019–2020. We divided the study site into grid cells of approximately 500 m in length and width and recorded the number of individual flying over each cell. Based on the results, we compared the abundance of moving waterbirds between cells with and without rivers. In addition, we constructed a linear model showing the relationship between the abundance of moving individuals and the four environmental variables across the 60 cells containing rivers. For species recorded abundantly (Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Black-tailed Gulls, and Great Cormorants), most of moving individuals were observed in cells with river. When only the cells, including rivers, were considered, the number of individuals of all the species was positively associated with the open river area and negatively associated with the proportion of areas covered by elevated roads running directly above rivers. Our findings show that rivers can function as waterbird movement corridors in urban areas. In urban planning, to maintain connectivity for waterbirds along river segments, it is recommended to avoid constructing obstructions over rivers, such as elevated roads and other man-made structures which may impede bird flight along rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The invasion of alien plant species outside of their home range constitutes an emerging problem threatening native plant diversity. The expansion of alien species is often favored in anthropogenic habitats, such as roads and urbanized areas, which allow the rapid colonization of new sites by these species. The development of suitable monitoring methods is fundamental both to keep pace with the fast expansion dynamics of these species and to enable appropriate and prompt control strategies. In this work, an efficient, accessible, and cost-effective method for monitoring alien plants using a smartphone is proposed (smartphone-monitoring—SPM). Using smartphones with a geolocation system, geographic coordinates of images matched to single plant records can be easily acquired and structured into exportable databases in a few steps. We tested the SPM method on three black-listed alien plants, Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle, Arundo donax L., and Robinia pseudoacacia L., along the road network and in major urban centers of the Tuscany region (central Italy). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological corridors play a key role in promoting the flow of ecological processes, guaranteeing ecological function services and maintaining biodiversity. Based on ecological sensitivity and ecological service values, ecological corridors in typical karst areas of Ningyuan County were constructed to lay the foundation for ecological environmental protection and land development and utilization in the county. Based on the current land use situation in 2020, the ecological source sites were identified by the combined results of ecological sensitivity evaluation and ecosystem service value analysis, and then potential corridors were generated based on the minimum cumulative resistance model (MCR) and the minimum cost path method, and key corridors were identified by the gravity model. The results show that (1) the areas exhibiting strong sensitivity are concentrated within regions characterized by better ecological environment quality; the ecosystem service value and ecological sensitivity have a similar distribution pattern, and those with high ecological value are mainly distributed in areas with better habitat quality such as woodlands and along water systems. (2) The total area of ecological source land in Ningyuan County is 879.14 km², accounting for 35.15% of the county area, mainly distributed in the south and north of the county. (3) There are nine ecological corridors in Ningyuan County, which are radially distributed in a spider-web manner, five important ecological corridors and four general ecological corridors, with total lengths of 96 km and 120.87 km, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat disturbance leads to biodiversity decline and modifications in the landscape structure and composition, affecting both dispersal movements and ecological processes at different temporal and spatial scales. The Ecuadorian Tropical Andes harbour suitable habitats for the distribution of a wide variety of species; however, there is a lack of studies focused on mammal diversity and its association with the habitat attributes in the central-eastern slopes. Here, we reported the diversity of terrestrial mammals recorded between 2019 and 2021 in a camera-trap monitoring study in the Candelaria and Machay reserves in the upper basin of the Pastaza River, Ecuador. We performed site-occupancy probability analysis to assess the influence of spatial variables in the species’ occurrence and also, based on natural marks, we reported preliminary findings in Andean bear individual identification. We detected 22 species of terrestrial mammals. Alpha diversity was similar between reserves with slightly higher species richness in Machay. Evenness indices showed unequal species distribution, with the Andean bear and domestic dogs exhibiting greater dominance. In addition, species composition was dissimilar between reserves, where the species turnover mostly explained the beta diversity. We observed that Andean bear and puma detections increased according to the natural vegetation cover. Conversely, domestic dogs were frequently detected in cells with an increasing proportion of pastures and crops. Additionally, we identified 26 Andean bears and six individuals recaptured during our study. Our results caution about the disturbance derived from human activities since we recorded unprecedented detections of domestic dogs in wild habitats. Nonetheless, it highlights the importance of private conservation areas (e.g. Candelaria, Machay and others) for supporting the occurrence and dispersal of terrestrial mammal species between larger areas in the upper basin of the Pastaza River.

As a result of the rapid urbanisation in China, the ecological system in urban areas has become fragmented, posing a threat to ecological stability. Constructing ecological networks is considered a critical strategy to reconnect habitats, restore ecosystems and improve ecological capacity. This research aims to develop a GIS-based model that can inform urban ecological network construction and identify the priority areas for ecological protection in a given urban context. The methodological prototype considers land use, habitat conditions and human interventions from an integrated perspective and has been tested based on a case study in Wujiang District, Suzhou. The results show that (i) 30 critical ecological patches were identified, including 2 vital, 4 important and 24 general cores; (ii) 69 ecological corridors, including 15 vital, 36 important and 18 general corridors, 59 ecological nodes and 24 barriers were determined. Based on these results, this research identified priority restoration and protected areas that urgently require the restoration of ecological networks according to their importance. This research proposes further recommendations on management strategies for construction and protection guidance at macro and micro levels in accordance with existing territorial and spatial planning of Wujiang. The model developed in this research provides a scientific methodology for planning and optimising ecological networks and can serve as a basis for realising ecological protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of natural protected area (NPA) systems is an important initiative to protect biodiversity and maintain the health and stability of natural ecosystems. The Qinghai-Tibet area (QTA) has extremely high ecological value, and the NPAs in this area account for more than half of the NPAs in China. As human activities have intensified, an increasing number of research has been conducted on the NPAs in the region. However, the assessment of the ecological network of the NPAs in the QTA is underexplored. This study assessed the ecological networks derived from the NPA system in the QTA from a “quality-structure–function” perspective. First, the study used the remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) to map the ecological resistance surface of the QTA, generated ecological corridors based on circuit theory, and identified ecological barriers and pinch points in the ecological network to evaluate the quality of the network. Next, the spatial syntax method was used to assess the structural characteristics of the connectivity for the ecological network. Finally, the study analysed changes in the human activity intensity and species population around ecological corridors to quantitatively explore the corridor’s biodiversity maintenance function in the context of increased human activity. The findings demonstrated that the ecological network quality of the NPAs within the QTA was generally good. However, some areas such as the Hung River Valley in Qilian-Qinghai Lake were observed to exhibit ecological quality concerns, identified as ecological barrier points. These ecological challenges stem from the competing interests of environmental corridors and the development and utilization of land. In terms of the structural indicators of the ecological network, the closeness of the ecological network in the eastern part of the study area was higher than that in the western part; however, the mean depth shows the opposite pattern, indicating that the northeast has a better overall connectivity than the west. In addition, the intensity of the human footprint and the number of species decreased continuously with increasing distance from the ecological network. However, over the last two decades, a noticeable increase in human footprint intensity has occurred, and the magnitude of this increase grows with increasing distance from the ecological network, indicating that the ecological network is experiencing mounting pressure due to more frequent human activities. However, ecological networks still play a key role in maintaining biodiversity and protecting the ecological environment. The findings of this study could provide a scientific support for protecting the eco-security shield functions in the QTA and globally.

Building ecological security patterns is essential to maintain regional ecological security and achieve sustainable development in the inland river basins with ecologically vulnerable environment. Numerous methods have been developed to build the ecological security pattern. However, to our knowledge, rare studies have quantified to what extent the derived pattern can improve ecological protection in the future. Taking Heihe River Basin (HRB), the second largest inland river basin in China, as the study area, we applied the circuit theory to build the ecological security pattern of HRB, and simulated how our built pattern contributed to ecological protection using the CLUMondo model. The results showed that the ecological security pattern of HRB contained 17 ecological sources, 35 key ecological corridors, and some ecological strategic points. The ecological sources were distributed in areas with better ecological conditions such as the Qilian Mountain Nature Reserve and Heihe National Wetland Park. The ecological corridors showed a pattern of "two horizontal and three vertical belts." Pinch points were mostly close to ecological sources or distributed on the corridors that played a key role in landscape connectivity, while barriers were mainly distributed on the corridors with large ecological resistance in the middle and lower reaches. The optimal ecological security pattern presented a "one screen, one belt, four districts and multiple centers" shape in HRB and could more effectively promote ecological protection compared to current development and protection scenarios. Our study provides a reliable decision-making guide for ecological protection and restoration of HRB, and can be extended to build ecological security patterns for broad-scale arid areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In previous research on the construction of ecological security patterns (ESPs), the positioning characteristics of urban development were rarely considered, resulting in the identification of key conservation areas that are insufficient to support the ecological security of the entire region and the overall development of urban functions. Firstly, a "quality-importance-connectivity-balance" framework was created to identify ESPs and chose Liaocheng City (LC), a typical main agricultural production area, as the study site. Secondly, the ecological security level of the watershed perspective is an integrated resistance assessment method that exhibits topography, human activities, distance, and agricultural environmental impacts. Finally, the coordination pattern between agriculture and ecology was divided by the comprehensive quality of cultivated land and ESPs. A "six cores-seven belts-three zones" optimization pattern was constructed based on the components of ESPs and the distribution of cultivated land comprehensive quality. The study presents a novel approach for measuring ESPs and is an essential resource for ecological conservation and regional development planning in agroecologically complex regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]