DOCSLIB.ORG

Landscape Connectivity: a Conservation Application of Graph

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Landscape Connectivity: a Conservation Application of Graph JournalofEnvironmentalManagement(2000)59,265–278 doi:10.1006/jema.2000.0373,availableonlineathttp://www.idealibrary.comon Landscapeconnectivity:Aconservation applicationofgraphtheory A.G.Bunn†§*,D.L.Urban† andT.H.Keitt‡ Weusefocal-speciesanalysistoapplyagraph-theoreticapproachtolandscapeconnectivityintheCoastal PlainofNorthCarolina.Indoingsowedemonstratetheutilityofamathematicalgraphasanecological constructwithrespecttohabitatconnectivity.Graphtheoryisawellestablishedmainstayofinformation technologyandisconcernedwithhighlyefficientnetworkflow.Itemploysfastalgorithmsandcompact datastructuresthatareeasilyadaptedtolandscape-levelfocalspeciesanalysis.Americanmink(Mustela vison)andprothonotarywarblers(Protonotariacitrea)sharethesamehabitatbuthavedifferentdispersal capabilities,andthereforeprovideinterestingcomparisonsonconnectionsinthelandscape.Webuiltgraphs usingGIScoveragestodefinehabitatpatchesanddeterminedthefunctionaldistancebetweenthepatches withleast-costpathmodeling.Usinggraphoperationsconcernedwithedgeandnoderemovalwefound thatthelandscapeisfundamentallyconnectedforminkandfundamentallyunconnectedforprothonotary warblers.Theadvantageofagraph-theoreticapproachoverothermodelingtechniquesisthatitisaheuristic frameworkwhichcanbeappliedwithverylittledataandimprovedfromtheinitialresults.Wedemonstratethe useofgraphtheoryinametapopulationcontext,andsuggestthatgraphtheoryasappliedtoconservation biologycanprovideleverageonapplicationsconcernedwithlandscapeconnectivity. 2000AcademicPress Keywords:landscapeecology,graphtheory,connectivity,modeling,metapopulations,focal species,Americanmink,Mustelavison,prothonotarywarblers,Protonotariacitrea. Introduction anislandmodel.Agraphrepresentsabinary landscapeofhabitatandnon-habitat,where patchesaredescribedasnodesandthecon- Thecurrenttrendinecologicalresearchand nectionsbetweenthemasedges. landmanagementistofocusonlargebiogeo- Graphtheoryisawidelyappliedframe- graphicareas,whichleavestheresearcher workingeography,informationtechnol- andmanagersearchingforlandscape-scale ogyandcomputerscience.Itisprimarily data(Christensenetal.,1996;Noss,1996). concernedwithmaximallyefficientflow Indeed,theinterpretationoflargespatial orconnectivityinnetworks(Grossand data,conceptuallyandtechnologically,can ŁCorrespondingauthor bethelimitingfactorinmakingconservation Yellen,1999).Tothisend,graph-theoretic approachescanprovidepowerfulleverage †NicholasSchoolofthe biologyandecosystemmanagementatan- Environment,Duke giblegoal.Becausetheinternalheterogene- onecologicalprocessesconcernedwithcon- University,Durham,NC ityoflandscapesmakeshabitat-conservation nectivityasdefinedbydispersal.Inpartic- 27708,USA planningaformidablechallenge,modeling ular,graphtheoryhasgreatpotentialfor ‡NationalCenterfor thespatialaspectsoflandscapesisacrit- useinapplicationsinametapopulationcon- EcologicalAnalysisand icalkeytounderstanding.Untilnow,the text.UrbanandKeitt(2000)haveintroduced Synthesis,SantaBarbara, CA93101,USA variedapproachestobuildingthesemod- landscape-levelgraph-theorytoecologists, elshavefocusedprimarilyontwotypesof andherewebuildonthatworkbyexam- §Presentaddress: spatialdata,coveragesofvectors(polygons) ininghabitatconnectivityfortwospecies MountainResearch Center,MontanaState orrastergrids.Wedemonstratetheutility thatsharethesamehabitatbuthavedif- University,Bozeman,MT ofalessfamiliartypeoflattice,thegraph ferentdispersalcapabilities.Specifically,we 59717,USA (Harary,1969),indetermininglandscape askhowAmericanmink(Mustelavison)and Received31May2000; connectivityusingfocal-speciesanalysisin prothonotarywarblers(Protonotariacitrea) accepted30June2000 0301–4797/00/080265C14$35.00/0 2000AcademicPress 266 A. G. Bunn et al. perceive the same landscape. We explore the Focal species sensitivity of landscape connectivity through graph operations concerned with edge defini- Because connectivity occurs at multiple tion. We also examine each habitat patch’s scales and multiple functional levels (Noss, role in maintaining landscape connectiv- 1991), we have chosen two focal species to ity in terms of source strength (Pulliam, apply a graph-theoretic approach to connec- 1988) and long-distance traversability (den tivity. Focal species analysis is an essential Boer, 1968; Levins, 1969) using graph oper- tool for examining connectivity in a real ations concerned with node removal. This landscape, as individual species have differ- type of analysis is done very efficiently ent spatial perceptions (O’Neill et al., 1988). with graph theory. We also present an The American mink and the prothonotary ecologically appealing way to calculate the warbler are appropriate candidates for focal functional distance between habitat patches species analysis as they share very similar using least-cost path modeling. Graph the- habitat but have different ecological require- ory as applied to landscapes represents an ments, and fall into different categories as important advance in spatially explicit mod- focal species. Both species are wetland depen- eling techniques because it is an additive dent and indicators of wetland quality and framework: analysis of a simple, preliminary abundance in a landscape. Both are charis- graph can prioritize further data collection to matic. Furthermore, as meso-predators mink improve the graph model. have small but important roles as a keystone species (Miller et al., 1998/1999). American mink are meso-level, semi- Study area and methods aquatic carnivores that occur in riverine, lacustrine and palustrine environments (Gerell, 1970). In chief, they are nocturnal Study area and their behavior largely depends on prey availability. They have a great deal of vari- Our study focuses on the Alligator River ation in their diet according to habitat type, National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and sur- season and prey availability (Dunstone and rounding counties on the Coastal Plain of Birks, 1987). Muskrats (Odantra zibethicus) North Carolina (35°500N; 75°550W). It is a are a preferred prey item (Hamilton, 1940; riverine and estuarine ecosystem with an Wilson, 1954), but mink diets in North Car- area of almost 580 000 ha and over 1400 km olina are composed of aquatic and terrestrial of shoreline. The area is rich in wildlife habi- animals, as well as semiaquatic elements tat, dominated by the Alligator River NWR, (e.g. waterfowl; Wilson, 1954). In the south- the Pocosin Lakes NWR, Lake Mattamus- east they have home ranges on the order of keet NWR, Swanquarter NWR, and a variety 1 ha and a dispersal range of roughly 25 km of other federal, state, and private wildlands (Nowak, 1999). (Figure 1). Prothonotary warblers are neotropical mig- The vegetation is characterized by the rants that breed in flooded or swampy mature Southern Mixed Hardwoods forest commu- woodlands. They have two very unusual nity. The area has many diverse vegetation traits in common with wood warblers in that types, including fresh water swamps, pine they are cavity nesters and prefer nest sites woods and coastal vegetation. In the upland over water. They are forest interior birds community, dominant species include many that experience heavy to severe parasitism types of oak (Quercus spp.), American Beech by brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater); (Fagus grandifolia), and evergreen magno- (Petit, 1999). They are primarily insectivo- lia (Magnolia grandiflora). Mature stands rous, occasionally feeding on fruits or seed may have five to nine codominants. The (Curson et al., 1994). Preliminary data indi- wet lowlands are dominated by bald cypress cate that natal dispersal ranges from less (Taxomodium distichum). The pine woods than 1 km to greater than 12 km (Petit, 1999). are dominated by longleaf pine (Pinus palus- Although this is formulated from a small tris), but loblolly pine (P. taeda) and slash sample, it is on the same order as other song pine (P. elliottii) are also important (Vankat, bird dispersal (e.g. Nice, 1933; Sutherland 1979). et al., 2000). Here, we posit warbler dispersal Landscape connectivity 267 Figure 1. Study area in North Carolina with major roads and streams shown along with bottomland hardwood forest (focal species habitat) identified using GIS analysis. to be 5 km and return to the uncertainty of warblers in the Southeast (Price et al., 1995). this statement later. Finer scale spatial information is not readily available. Mink and prothonotary warblers are habi- Geospatial data tat specialists that use the same habitat. To identify habitat patches in the land- To our knowledge there are no current scape we combined data from the US Fish data on the spatial distribution of the focal and Wildlife Service’s National Wetlands species in our study area. The decline in Inventory (http://wetlands.fws.gov) and a trapping of the mink has perversely led to a 1996 land-use coverage from the National decline in good biological information on the Center for Geographic Information and Anal- species. We are unaware of any work done ysis (http://www.negia.ucsb.edu). Both were with mink in the study area since Wilson’s derived from Landsat 7 Thematic Map- (1954) study. The Breeding Bird Survey per imagery with 30-m cells. Cells that indicates that this study area contains one were defined as being bottomland hardwood of the highest concentrations of prothonotary swamp or oak gum cypress swamp, and 268 A. G. Bunn et al. riverine, lacustrine, or palustrine forested as an index to overall traversability of the wetland were selected as habitat. These cells habitat mosaic. were then aggregated into regions using A graph is defined by two data structures: an eight-neighbor
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Landscape Connectivity Science and Practice: Ways Forward for Large Ranging Species and Their Landscapes
    LANDSCAPE CONNECTIVITY SCIENCE AND PRACTICE: WAYS FORWARD FOR LARGE RANGING SPECIES AND THEIR LANDSCAPES 1 Acknowledgements: This report was developed following the Landscape Connectivity Workshop held at and hosted by WWF India, Delhi in May 2018. We are grateful to the following people who provided valuable input, facilitation and compilation of notes throughout and following the workshop: Hamsini Bijlani, Dipankar Ghose (WWF India), Nilanga Jayasinghe (WWF US), Nitin Seker (WWF India), Indira Akoijam (WWF India), Thu Ba Huynh (WWF Tigers Alive). Suggested citation: WWF Tigers Alive (2020). Landscape Connectivity Science and Practice: Ways forward for large ranging species and their landscapes. Workshop Report, WWF Tigers Alive, WWF International. Workshop report editors: Ashley Brooks (WWF Tigers Alive), Hamsini Bijlani. Case study report researcher and author: Kyle Lukas Report prepared by: WWF Tigers Alive Published in: 2020 by WWF – World Wide Fund for Nature (Formerly World Wildlife Fund), Gland, Switzerland. Any reproduction in full or in part must mention the title and credit the above- mentioned publisher as the copyright owner. For more information please contact: Ashley Brooks. [email protected] WWF Tigers Alive is an initiative of WWF that supports tiger range countries achieve their commitments under the Global Tiger Recovery Program to double the number of tigers by 2022. WWF is one of the world’s largest and most experienced independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by: conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.
    [Show full text]
  • Improving Habitat and Connectivity Model Predictions with Multi-Scale Resource Selection Functions from Two Geographic Areas
    Landscape Ecol (2019) 34:503–519 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-019-00788-w (0123456789().,-volV)(0123456789().,-volV) RESEARCH ARTICLE Improving habitat and connectivity model predictions with multi-scale resource selection functions from two geographic areas Ho Yi Wan . Samuel A. Cushman . Joseph L. Ganey Received: 22 May 2018 / Accepted: 18 February 2019 / Published online: 4 March 2019 Ó This is a U.S. government work and its text is not subject to copyright protection in the United States; however, its text may be subject to foreign copyright protection 2019 Abstract converted the models into landscape resistance sur- Context Habitat loss and fragmentation are the most faces and used simulations to model connectivity pressing threats to biodiversity, yet assessing their corridors for the species, and created composite impacts across broad landscapes is challenging. habitat and connectivity models by averaging the Information on habitat suitability is sometimes avail- local and non-local models. able in the form of a resource selection function model Results While the local and the non-local models developed from a different geographical area, but its both performed well, the local model performed best applicability is unknown until tested. in the part of the study area where it was built, but Objectives We used the Mexican spotted owl as a performed worse in areas that are beyond the extent of case study to demonstrate how models developed from the data used to train it. The composite habitat model different geographic areas affect our predictions for improved performances over both models in most habitat suitability, landscape resistance, and connec- cases.
    [Show full text]
  • Guidelines for Wildlife and Traffic in the Carpathians
    Wildlife and Traffic in the Carpathians Guidelines how to minimize the impact of transport infrastructure development on nature in the Carpathian countries Wildlife and Traffic in the Carpathians Guidelines how to minimize the impact of transport infrastructure development on nature in the Carpathian countries Part of Output 3.2 Planning Toolkit TRANSGREEN Project “Integrated Transport and Green Infrastructure Planning in the Danube-Carpathian Region for the Benefit of People and Nature” Danube Transnational Programme, DTP1-187-3.1 April 2019 Project co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) www.interreg-danube.eu/transgreen Authors Václav Hlaváč (Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, Member of the Carpathian Convention Work- ing Group for Sustainable Transport, co-author of “COST 341 Habitat Fragmentation due to Trans- portation Infrastructure, Wildlife and Traffic, A European Handbook for Identifying Conflicts and Designing Solutions” and “On the permeability of roads for wildlife: a handbook, 2002”) Petr Anděl (Consultant, EVERNIA s.r.o. Liberec, Czech Republic, co-author of “On the permeability of roads for wildlife: a handbook, 2002”) Jitka Matoušová (Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic) Ivo Dostál (Transport Research Centre, Czech Republic) Martin Strnad (Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, specialist in ecological connectivity) Contributors Andriy-Taras Bashta (Biologist, Institute of Ecology of the Carpathians, National Academy of Science in Ukraine) Katarína Gáliková (National
    [Show full text]
  • Green Infrastructure Design for Transport Projects: a Road Map To
    GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN FOR TRANSPORT PROJECTS A ROAD MAP TO PROTECTING ASIA’S WILDLIFE BIODIVERSITY DECEMBER 2019 ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN FOR TRANSPORT PROJECTS A ROAD MAP TO PROTECTING ASIA’S WILDLIFE BIODIVERSITY DECEMBER 2019 ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO license (CC BY 3.0 IGO) © 2019 Asian Development Bank 6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City, 1550 Metro Manila, Philippines Tel +63 2 8632 4444; Fax +63 2 8636 2444 www.adb.org Some rights reserved. Published in 2019. ISBN 978-92-9261-991-6 (print), 978-92-9261-992-3 (electronic) Publication Stock No. TCS189222 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22617/TCS189222 The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) or its Board of Governors or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by ADB in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. By making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area, or by using the term “country” in this document, ADB does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. This work is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO license (CC BY 3.0 IGO) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/.
    [Show full text]
  • How Should We Measure Landscape Connectivity?
    Landscape Ecology 15: 633–641, 2000. 633 © 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. How should we measure landscape connectivity? Lutz Tischendorf∗ & Lenore Fahrig Ottawa-Carleton Institute of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Canada K1S 5B6 (∗Current address: Busestrasse 76, 28213 Bremen, Germany; E-mail: [email protected]) Received 9 April 1999; Revised 27 December 1999; Accepted 7 February 2000 Abstract The methods for measuring landscape connectivity have never been compared or tested for their responses to habitat fragmentation. We simulated movement, mortality and boundary reactions across a wide range of land- scape structures to analyze the response of landscape connectivity measures to habitat fragmentation. Landscape connectivity was measured as either dispersal success or search time, based on immigration into all habitat patches in the landscape. Both measures indicated higher connectivity in more fragmented landscapes, a potential for problematic conclusions for conservation plans. We introduce cell immigration as a new measure for landscape connectivity. Cell immigration is the rate of immigration into equal-sized habitat cells in the landscape. It includes both within- and between-patch movement, and shows a negative response to habitat fragmentation. This complies with intuition and existing theoretical work. This method for measuring connectivity is highly robust to reductions in sample size (i.e., number of habitat cells included in the estimate), and we hypothesize that it therefore should be amenable to use in empirical studies. The connectivity measures were weakly correlated to each other and are therefore generally not comparable. We also tested immigration into a single patch as an index of connectivity by comparing it to cell immigration over the landscape.
    [Show full text]
  • Landscape Connectivity Planning for Adaptation to Future Climate and Land-Use Change
    Current Landscape Ecology Reports https://doi.org/10.1007/s40823-019-0035-2 LANDSCAPE CHANGE - CAUSES AND EFFECTS (C SIRAMI, SECTION EDITOR) Landscape Connectivity Planning for Adaptation to Future Climate and Land-Use Change Jennifer K. Costanza1 & Adam J. Terando2 # Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019 Abstract Purpose of Review We examined recent literature on promoting habitat connectivity in the context of climate change (CC) and land-use change (LUC). These two global change forcings have wide-reaching ecological effects that are projected to worsen in the future. Improving connectivity is a common adaptation strategy, but CC and LUC can also degrade planned connections, potentially reducing their effectiveness. We synthesize advances in connectivity design approaches, identify challenges confronted by researchers and practitioners, and offer suggestions for future research. Recent Findings Recent studies incorporated future CC into connectivity design more often than LUC and rarely considered the two drivers jointly. When considering CC, most studies have focused on relatively broad spatial and temporal extents and have included either species-based targets or coarse-filter targets like geodiversity and climate gradients. High levels of uncertainty about future LUC and lack of consistent, readily available model simulations are likely hindering its inclusion in connectivity modeling. This high degree of uncertainty extends to efforts to jointly consider future CC and LUC. Summary We argue that successful promotion of connectivity as a means to adapt to CC and LUC will depend on (1) the velocity of CC, (2) the velocity of LUC, and (3) the degree of existing landscape fragmentation. We present a new conceptual framework to assist in identifying connectivity networks given these three factors.
    [Show full text]
  • Landscape Connectivity Approach in Oceanic Islands by Urban Ecological Island Network Systems with the Case Study of Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos (Ecuador)
    Current Urban Studies, 2018, 6, 573-610 http://www.scirp.org/journal/cus ISSN Online: 2328-4919 ISSN Print: 2328-4900 Landscape Connectivity Approach in Oceanic Islands by Urban Ecological Island Network Systems with the Case Study of Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos (Ecuador) Verónica Lorena Andrade Sierra, Xuan Feng* Architecture Department, School of Design, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China How to cite this paper: Sierra, V. L. A., & Abstract Feng, X. (2018). Landscape Connectivity Approach in Oceanic Islands by Urban The oceanic islands are well known for their high biodiversity where the dy- Ecological Island Network Systems with the namic integration of the ecosystems inside the populated islands is such as a Case Study of Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos living laboratory of ecological and social relations of interdependence. Ocea- (Ecuador). Current Urban Studies, 6, 573-610. https://doi.org/10.4236/cus.2018.64031 nic islands are experimenting significant pressure on their ecosystems. Habi- tat fragmentation produces poor spatial connectivity between protected areas Received: November 23, 2018 and human settlements. The essence of the research approach is to develop a Accepted: December 24, 2018 new framework of Oceanic Island Network System based on urban ecological Published: December 27, 2018 networks in dealing with island connectivity issues space. This new urban Copyright © 2018 by authors and ecological planning tool can help to generate an integrator balance by a phys- Scientific Research Publishing Inc. ical linkage system in a socio-ecosystem island. Facilitating the territorial or- This work is licensed under the Creative dering based on the spatial and functional relations between ecological func- Commons Attribution International License (CC BY 4.0).
    [Show full text]
  • Landscape Ecology and Connectivity  4  71
    15 Extension Note Landscape Ecology and Connectivity 4 71 Introduction objectives. The Biodiversity Guidebook (B.C. Ministry of Forests and B.C. You accidentally unplug the freezer. Ministry of Environment, Lands and Labour strife removes buses at rush Parks 1995), a component of the Code, hour. A violent storm knocks out the recommends procedures to maintain Biodiversity telephone lines. A highly disturbed biodiversity at both landscape and Management Concepts ecosystem loses species to extinction. stand levels. These procedures, which in Landscape Ecology What do these events have in com- use principles of ecosystem manage- mon? All are examples of systems in ment tempered by social considera- which an important connection has tions, recognize that an important Ministry contact: been severed. Just like electrical, trans- way to meet the habitat needs of forest Rick Dawson portation, or communication systems, and range life is to ensure that various B.C. Ministry of Forests Research Program the ecological systems composing habitat types are still connected to 200 - 640 Borland Street landscapes require connections to each other. By sustaining landscape Williams Lake, BC V2G 4T1 maintain their functionality. connections, forest- and range- Historically, forest managers dwelling organisms can continue to November 1997 viewed the components that make up spread out and move across and the landscape as separate, unrelated between landscapes. entities. The emerging discipline of This Extension Note is the fourth landscape ecology now focuses on the in a series designed to raise awareness landscape as an interrelated, intercon- of landscape ecology concepts, and to “… an important way nected whole. Landscape ecologists provide background for the ecologi- to meet the habitat place a significant emphasis on the cally-based forest management connections between landscape ele- approach recommended in the needs of forest and ments and their functional roles.
    [Show full text]
  • Habitat Fragmentation Reduces Genetic Diversity and Connectivity of the Mexican Spotted Owl: a Simulation Study Using Empirical Resistance Models
    G C A T T A C G G C A T genes Article Habitat Fragmentation Reduces Genetic Diversity and Connectivity of the Mexican Spotted Owl: A Simulation Study Using Empirical Resistance Models Ho Yi Wan 1,* ID , Samuel A. Cushman 2 and Joseph L. Ganey 2 1 School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA 2 USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, 2500 S. Pine Knoll, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA; [email protected] (S.A.C.); [email protected] (J.L.G.) * Corresponding: [email protected] Received: 24 July 2018; Accepted: 7 August 2018; Published: 10 August 2018 Abstract: We evaluated how differences between two empirical resistance models for the same geographic area affected predictions of gene flow processes and genetic diversity for the Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida). The two resistance models represented the landscape under low- and high-fragmentation parameters. Under low fragmentation, the landscape had larger but highly concentrated habitat patches, whereas under high fragmentation, the landscape had smaller habitat patches that scattered across a broader area. Overall habitat amount differed little between resistance models. We tested eight scenarios reflecting a factorial design of three factors: resistance model (low vs. high fragmentation), isolation hypothesis (isolation-by-distance, IBD, vs. isolation-by-resistance, IBR), and dispersal limit of species (200 km vs. 300 km). Higher dispersal limit generally had a positive but small influence on genetic diversity. Genetic distance increased with both geographic distance and landscape resistance, but landscape resistance displayed a stronger influence. Connectivity was positively related to genetic diversity under IBR but was less important under IBD.
    [Show full text]
  • Using Landscape Change Analysis and Stakeholder Perspective to Identify Driving Forces of Human–Wildlife Interactions
    land Article Using Landscape Change Analysis and Stakeholder Perspective to Identify Driving Forces of Human–Wildlife Interactions 1, 2,3 Mihai Mustăt, ea * and Ileana Pătru-Stupariu 1 Faculty of Geography, Doctoral School Simion Mehedinti, University of Bucharest, 1 Bd. N. Bălcescu, 010041 Bucharest, Romania 2 Department of Regional Geography and Environment, Faculty of Geography, University of Bucharest, 1 Bd. N. Bălcescu, 010041 Bucharest, Romania; [email protected] 3 Institute of Research of University of Bucharest, ICUB, 050095 Bucharest, Romania * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Human–wildlife interactions (HWI) were frequent in the post-socialist period in the mountain range of Central European countries where forest habitats suffered transitions into built-up areas. Such is the case of the Upper Prahova Valley from Romania. In our study, we hypothesized that the increasing number of HWI after 1990 could be a potential consequence of woodland loss. The goal of our study was to analyse the effects of landscape changes on HWI. The study consists of the next steps: (i) applying 450 questionnaires to local stakeholders (both citizens and tourists) in order to collect data regarding HWI temporal occurrences and potential triggering factors; (ii) investigating the relation between the two variables through the Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA); (iii) modelling the landscape spatial changes between 1990 and 2018 for identifying areas with forest loss; (iv) overlapping the distribution of both the households affected by HWI and areas with loss of forested ecosystems. The local stakeholders indicate that the problematic species are the brown bear (Ursus arctos), the wild boar (Sus scrofa), the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the grey wolf (Canis lupus).
    [Show full text]
  • Eco-Friendly Measures to Mitigate Impacts of Linear Infrastructure On
    i ii Citation: Contributors Link: Logo: Photo credits: Design and layout: iii CONTENTS Foreword Preface List of Acronyms and abbreviations PART I: INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 RELEVANCE OF MAINSTREAMING BIODIVERSITY IN LINEAR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 2 PROGRESSIVE TRENDS IN LINEAR DEVELOPMENT SECTORS IN INDIA CHAPTER 3 REGULATORY PROCEEDURES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE OF PROJECTS CHAPTER 4 OVERVIEW OF ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS OF LINEAR INFRASTRUCTURE CHAPTER 5 MITIGATION PRINCIPLES PART II: MITIGATION OF IMPACTS OF ROADS AND RAILWAY LINES CHAPTER 6 GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR MITIGATING IMPACTS ON WILDLIFE CHAPTER 7 FACTORS FOR ENHANCING PERMEABILITY OF CROSSING STRUCTURES CHAPTER 8 MITIGATION MEASURES FOR CONNECTING LANDSCAPES AND SPECIES CHAPTER 9 STRUCTURAL MEASURES FOR REDUCING ANIMAL MORTALITY CHAPTER 10 NON-STRUCTURAL MEASURES FOR REDUCING MORTALITY: SIGNAGE AND WARNING SYSTEMS iv CHAPTER 11 MEASURES FOR NOISE ATTENUATION PART III: MITIGATION OF IMPACTS OF POWERLINES CHAPTER 12 MITIGATION OF ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS OF POWERLINES ON BIRDS PART IV: AVAILABLE GUIDANCE Glossary Appendices v vi FOREWORD vii viii PREFACE ix List of Acronyms and abbreviations Addl. DGF (FC) Additional Director General of Forests (Forest Conservation) Addl. PCCF Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests BRO Border Roads Organisation ADS Animal Detection Systems APLIC Avian Power Line Interaction Committee AVC Animal Vehicle Collisions CCF Chief Conservator of Forests CF Conservator of Forests Ckm Circuit kilometre CRZ Coastal Regulation Zone DAS Distributed
    [Show full text]
  • Programme Book
    Programme Book ONLINE | 12-14 January 2021 Organisers Infrastructure and Ecology Network Europe IENE 2020 International Conference Programme Book “LIFE LINES – Linear Infrastructure Networks with Ecological Solutions” CONTENTS Welcome 4 Conference Organisers 6 General Information 9 Conference Schedule 11 Plenary Sessions 21 CREDITS Full Presentations 27 TITLE IENE 2020 International Conference “LIFE LINES – Linear Infrastructure Networks with Ecological Solutions” – Programme Book, January 12 – 14, 2021, Évora, Portugal Lightning Talks 77 EDITORS António Mira, André Oliveira, João Craveiro, Carmo Silva, Sara Santos, Sofia Poster Communications Eufrázio, Nuno Pedroso 97 The respective authors are solely responsible for the contents of their contributions in Workshops this book. 117 PHOTOGRAPHY Luís Guilherme Sousa Side Events 129 PUBLISHER Universidade de Évora LIFE SAFE CROSSING Seminar 130 LAYOUT E DESIGN Rui Manuel Belo, Unipessoal, Lda. LIFE LINES Final Seminar ISBN 978-972-778-186-7 136 DATA January 2021 Training Session 145 DOWNLOAD AT https://www.iene2020.info/index.html List of Communications 149 RECOMMENDED CITATION IENE 2020 Organising and Programme committees (2021). IENE 2020 International Conference - LIFE LINES – Linear Infrastructure Networks with Ecological Solutions. Programme Book. January 12 – 14, 2021, Universidade de Évora. Authors Index 169 IENE 2020 International Conference Programme Book “LIFE LINES – Linear Infrastructure Networks with Ecological Solutions” 4 WELCOME Particularly in the last two decades, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes 5 increasingly demand new LI to be ecologically sustainable. However, very often the TO THE IENE 2020 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE assessment and mitigation are focused on the new infrastructure itself discharging the larger landscape context and the integration and intervention on other infrastructures already present.
    [Show full text]