Linkages in the Landscape
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
>GJ=KL =;GKQKL=EK ;GFK=JNAF? /LQNDJHVLQWKH/DQGVFDSH 7KH5ROHRI&RUULGRUVDQG&RQQHFWLYLW\ LQ:LOGOLIH&RQVHUYDWLRQ $QGUHZ)%HQQHWW ,8&1)RUHVW&RQVHUYDWLRQ3URJUDPPH &RQVHUYLQJ)RUHVW(FRV\VWHPV6HULHV1R 7KH:RUOG&RQVHUYDWLRQ8QLRQ Linkages in theLinkages in the Landscape Landscape IUCN’S FOREST CONSERVATION PROGRAMME IUCN’s Forest Conservation Programme coordinates and supports the activities of the IUCN Secretariat and members working with forest ecosystems. The goal of forest conservation is achieved through promoting protection, restoration and sustainable use of forest resources, so that forests provide the full potential range of goods and services. The programme makes contributions to policy at various levels and uses field projects to derive lessons to feed into the policy debate. The principles of Caring for the Earth, published jointly by IUCN, WWF and UNEP in 1991, are applied to these projects, which combine the needs of conservation and those of local communities. One major activity is to develop coherent and informed policies on forest conservation in order to advocate the translation of policies into effective actions. IUCN frequently advises major development institutions on forest issues, to ensure that conservation priorities are adequately addressed in their projects and programmes. The Forest Conservation Programme receives generous financial support from the Government of the Netherlands. The IUCN Forest Conservation Programme Linkages in the Landscape The Role of Corridors and Connectivity in Wildlife Conservation Andrew F. Bennett School of Ecology and Environment Deakin University – Melbourne Campus, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia IUCN – The World Conservation Union 2003 The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN or Environment Australia concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN or Environment Australia. This publication has been made possible in part by funding from Environment Australia. Published by: IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK Biodiversity Group Copyright: © 1999, 2003 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources First published 1999 Second edition 2003 Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder. Citation: Bennett, A.F. (1998, 2003). Linkages in the Landscape: The Role of Corridors and Connectivity in Wildlife Conservation. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. xiv + 254 pp. ISBN: 2-8317-0744-7 Cover design by: Patricia Halladay and IUCN Publications Services Unit, from an original design by McHale Ward Associates, Hertfordshire Cover photo: Tony Stone Images, London Layout by: Bookcraft Ltd, Stroud, UK Produced by: IUCN Publications Services Unit, UK Printed by: Thanet Press Ltd, Margate, UK Available from: IUCN Publications Services Unit 219c Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK Tel: +44 1223 277894, Fax: +44 1223 277175 E-mail: [email protected] www.iucn.org/bookstore A catalogue of IUCN publications is also available The text of this book is printed on 90gsm Fineblade Extra made from low-chlorine pulp CONTENTS Foreword .......................................... ix Preface to the first edition ................................ xiii PART 1 DEFINING THE ISSUES 1 Responding to an Issue of Global Concern ......................3 Habitat change in human-dominated landscapes ....................3 Corridors and controversy ............................... 5 Connectivity ....................................... 8 Scope of this book .................................... 9 2 Habitat Fragmentation and the Consequences for Wildlife.............13 Fragmentation and changes to landscape pattern ...................13 Effects of fragmentation on wildlife ..........................20 Is isolation of habitats important? ...........................32 3 Approaches to Understanding the Benefits of Connectivity.............37 Natural history and wildlife management .......................37 Equilibrium theory of island biogeography ......................38 Dynamics of subdivided populations ..........................40 Landscape ecology................................... 43 PART 2 VALUES OF LINKAGES 4 Connectivity and Wildlife Conservation .......................49 Corridors, stepping stones and other habitat configurations to enhance connectivity .49 Connectivity at different scales............................. 57 Advantages and disadvantages of linkages.......................61 5 Movements of Animals Through Linkages......................67 Types of movements assisted by linkages ........................67 Tunnels and underpasses to assist movement across local barriers ..........79 Experimental investigations of the values of linkages .................83 Evidence for the value of connectivity from predictive models .............87 Simulation models and empirical data on the values of connectivity ..........91 6 Linkages as Ecological Elements in the Landscape .................97 Landscape linkages .................................. 97 Riparian vegetation.................................. 104 Hedgerows and fencerows .............................. 110 Roadside vegetation ................................. 113 Forest linkages .................................... 120 v Linkages in the Landscape PART 3 LINKAGES AND CONSERVATION STRATEGY 7 Design and Management of Linkages for Conservation ..............125 Biological issues in design and management .....................126 Socio-political issues in design and management...................142 8 Connectivity and Conservation Strategy ......................153 Role of connectivity in conservation strategy .....................153 Linkages and an integrated landscape approach to conservation ..........157 Which linkages warrant highest priority?.......................168 Checklist of issues for planning linkages .......................174 9 Case Studies of Linkages in Land-use Planning and Conservation ........177 Landscape linkages between reserves or large natural areas .............177 Linked systems of habitat at the regional scale ....................185 Linkages in forest conservation and management ..................190 Linkages for the conservation of large mammals ...................195 Local networks of linear habitats ...........................201 References ........................................ 205 Appendix 1 Common and Scientific Names of Species Cited in the Text ......241 Index ........................................... 249 vi LIST OF BOXES Box 1–1 Corridors or connectivity: what is the real issue?.................7 Box 1–2 Corridors, linkages and other terminology ...................10 Box 2–1 Forest fragmentation in south-western Victoria, Australia ...........16 Box 2–2 Loss of breeding birds from an isolated Javan woodland, Indonesia ......24 Box 2–3 Area requirements of rainforest raptors in French Guiana ...........28 Box 2–4 Nest predation and its relationship with landscape pattern in Sweden......30 Box 2–5 Effects of isolation on the recovery of a rare butterfly in Britain ........35 Box 3–1 Threats to the persistence of small populations .................41 Box 4–1 Birds in a variegated habitat, New England Tablelands, Australia .......52 Box 4–2 How do animals move through linkages? ....................58 Box 5–1 Flight paths of insectivorous bats in the Netherlands ..............68 Box 5–2 Impacts of variation in ‘stopover’ habitat quality for Rufous Hummingbirds along a migration corridor in western USA ...................75 Box 5–3 Stepping stone fragments for the dispersal of White-crowned Pigeons in Florida, USA .................................. 76 Box 5–4 Underpasses to assist seasonal migration of Mule Deer in western USA ....80 Box 5–5 Rock-scree corridor and tunnel for the Mountain Pygmy-possum in Australia .................................... 81 Box 5–6 Dispersal of American Robins between farmland shelterbelts, North Dakota, USA .................................. 86 Box 5–7 Possums and Tree Kangaroos in tropical rainforest remnants, North Queensland, Australia ............................. 88 Box 5–8 Distribution of the Dormouse in ancient woods in Britain ...........89 Box 5–9 Chipmunks and fencerows in eastern Canada..................90 Box 5–10 The White-footed Mouse in farm landscapes of Ontario, Canada........92 Box 5–11 Cougars and habitat corridors in an urban–wildlands interface, California, USA...................................... 93 Box 6–1 Rainforest insects inhabiting streamside strips in north Queensland, Australia ................................... 101 vii Linkages in the Landscape Box 6–2 La Selva–Braulio Carrillo corridor, Costa Rica ................102 Box 6–3 Gallery forests and the diversity of non-flying mammals in the Brazilian cerrado .................................... 107 Box 6–4 Roadside habitat for butterflies in the United Kingdom ............115 Box 6–5 Forested roadsides as linkages for native mammals in Victoria, Australia. 116 Box 6–6 Retained forest strips