Landscape connectivity models aim to map the links or corridors that wildlife would or do use between patches of habitat. Migratory species such as elk traverse between such patches which serve as seasonal ranges. The goal of this study was to compare and contrast the suitability of several landscape connectivity models for describing and predicting migration in a long-distance migrant. We measured the suitability of connectivity models for covering and predicting the migratory movements of elk in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. GPS point data was converted to sequential networks for multiple populations of elk. GPS data was also used to delineate the summer and winter ranges of each population. The kernel density of routes in the networks was measured for comparison to connectivity models. The ranges served as the patches to be connected by such models. A resistance surface was produced using reclassified landcover data for mapping habitat suitability and linear road data for human presence or obstruction to movement. Landscape connectivity was measured for eleven migratory elk populations using three distinct models. The first measured connectivity using circuit theory; the second, agent based modeling; the third, least cost corridors. The model results were compared to the migratory network density by measuring correlation. This was followed by a new method of measuring the influence of autocorrelation between the models and networks. Some of the models were then altered to test for suspected influences. This study shows that least cost corridors and circuit theory can are limited in their ability to predict the migratory movements between summer and winter ranges but only so much. They lack the ability to predict exploratory movements that do not link conspicuous ranges to each other. They also lack the ability to account for all avoidance behaviors in the landscape. Our results suggest that connectivity models need improvement by accounting for exploration outside of prime habitat. It also suggests connectivity models are not adequate predictors of migratory movements and not suited to conservation planning of migratory networks. This supports Sawyer's (et al. 2009) ungulate conservation planning of considering connectivity but basing priority on migratory landscape usage. It is assumed that fragmentation or loss in connectivity impedes seasonal migration, cutting off wildlife from resources (Rudnick et al. 2012). This study shows that migratory elk are actually using less than prime and supposedly fragmented habitat in migration and that there is more than connectivity at play.

abstract: This study addresses the landscape connectivity pattern at two different scales. The county-level analysis aims to understand how urban ecosystem structure is likely to evolve in response to the proposed development plans in Maricopa County, Arizona. To identify the spatio-temporal land pattern change, six key landscape metrics were quantified in relative to the urban development scenarios based on the certainty of the proposed urban plans with different level of urban footprints. The effects of future development plans from municipalities on landscape connectivity were then analyzed in the scaled temporal and spatial frame to identify in which urban condition the connectivity value would most likely to decrease. The results demonstrated that tremendous amount of lands will be dedicated to future urbanization, and especially urban agricultural lands will be likely to be vulnerable. The metro-level analysis focuses on a group of species that represent urban desert landscape and have different degrees of fragmentation sensitivity and habitat type requirement. It hypothesizes that the urban habitat patch connectivity is impacted upon by urban density. Two underlying propositions were set: first, lower connectivity is predominant in areas with high urbanization cover; second, landscape connectivity will be impacted largely on the interfaces between urban, suburban, and rural areas. To test this, a GIS-based connectivity modeling was employed. The resultant change in connectivity values was examined for exploring the spatial relation to predefined spatial frames, such as urban, suburban, and rural zones of which boundaries were delineated by buffering method with two criteria of human population density and urban cover proportion. The study outcomes provide a practical guidance to minimize connectivity loss and degradation by informing planners with more optimal alternatives among various policy decisions and implementation. It also gives an inspiration for ecological landscape planning in urbanized or urbanizing regions which can ultimately leads urban landscape sustainability. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Environmental Design and Planning 2011

For the last century, automobiles and the roads they require have been a dominant force shaping the modern American landscape. An unrivaled interstate highway system connects major metropolitan areas and is the basis of our transportation infrastructure. Unfortunately, many roadways were not planned or designed with wildlife in mind. As long linear features in the landscape, interstates can function as landscape barriers and cause significant impacts to adjacent wildlife populations. While an aggressive transportation system is being carried out, researchers have only marginally demonstrated the relationships between roadways and wildlife. In such cases, twinned interstate roadways have proven to be the greatest obstacle for wildlife resources. By incorporating ecological design theory into highway planning and design, the transportation community has an opportunity to reassess the short comings of existing highway infrastructure and improve functions of wildlife passage and landscape connectivity. Through system level approaches and analysis applied within an eco-region context, practical solutions can be developed. The following document provides a process for landscape level analysis, wildlife passage structure design and implementation for future planned interstates projects. As a collaborative effort among professionals, we can work towards improving interstate highway systems and retain the relationships occurring within the landscape. The following I-81 design and planning project offers an exceptional opportunity to reassess the inadequacies of the existing interstate infrastructure in terms of landscape connectivity, wildlife resources and public safety, and demonstrate how system level design approaches can give our roadways new shape and form. / Master of Landscape Architecture

L’emprise de la lumière artificielle s’étend de manière importante et rapide à travers le monde entier et est en train de changer le paysage nocturne menaçant ainsi une large part des écosystèmes. L’augmentation des niveaux de lumière la nuit entraîne une perturbation du rythme circadien et par là une modification des comportements des espèces nocturnes mais aussi diurnes et des interactions entre espèces. Malgré l’importance de l’enjeu que représente la pollution lumineuse, le manque de connaissances dans le domaine limite la création de réglementations pour réduire l’impact de l’éclairage nocturne sur la biodiversité. Il est donc urgent d’apporter des éléments concrets pour construire des recommandations et des outils d’évaluation à destination des gestionnaires du territoire.Dans ce contexte, l’objectif de cette thèse est d’étudier l’impact de la pollution lumineuse sur la faune nocturne à deux échelles paysagères afin de préconiser des méthodes d’évaluation et de gestion de l’éclairage artificiel. Nous avons utilisé les chauves-souris comme modèle d’étude car elles sont longévives et nocturnes et donc fortement affectées par la pollution lumineuse. De plus, il a été montré que les tendances de leurs populations tendent à refléter celles d’espèces plus basses dans la chaîne trophique, les rendant ainsi d’autant plus sensibles aux pressions anthropiques. Dans un premier temps, nous avons étudié l’effet de la pollution lumineuse à l’échelle de villes, une échelle paysagère en cohérence à la fois avec les distances de déplacement des individus et avec une réalité de gestion de l’éclairage. Malgré que les espèces anthropophiles vivant toujours dans les grandes villes soient considérée comme bénéficiant de l’éclairage artificiel, ce travail a montré qu’à une échelle regroupant tous les aspects des déplacements quotidiens des individus, l’effet global de la lumière est négatif. De plus, bien qu’une part significative de la pollution lumineuse soit due à l’éclairage public de par sa permanence et son étende, l’étude montre que l’éclairage privé n’est pourtant pas à négliger. Au-delà d’un effet sur le niveau d’activité, la lumière artificielle peut avoir un effet de barrière dans le déplacement des individus et ainsi réduire la connectivité du paysage. Alors que les politiques environnementales sont en faveur du développement de corridors écologiques, la non-inclusion du facteur pollution lumineuse pourrait réduire significativement leur efficacité pour les espèces nocturnes. Un travail de modélisation mettant en lien des données biologiques d’activité avec des aspects paysagers mais aussi lumière a permis de construire des corridors adaptés pour les espèces nocturnes. Cela a aussi mené à des outils d’évaluation de scénarios d’éclairage qui peuvent être utilisés en amont d’aménagements afin de prédire l’impact d’un changement et de les adapter aux enjeux de biodiversité. A une échelle plus fine, il est nécessaire de comprendre quelles caractéristiques des points lumineux sont les plus pertinents à maîtriser afin de formuler des recommandations pour limiter l’impact sur la biodiversité. Nous avons mené une étude de terrain dans un espace protégé où les enjeux sur les chauves-souris sont d’autant plus importants que les espèces les plus sensibles à la lumière y sont protégées, ainsi que leurs habitats, à l’échelle européenne. En travaillant à l’interface entre urbanisation et habitats semi-naturels, nous avons pu montrer que c’est la quantité de lumière émise qui ont l’effet le plus notable. C’est donc ce paramètre sur lequel il faut travailler en priorité pour limiter l’impact de la lumière sur des zones pouvant servir de corridor ou de zone refuge aux espèces sensibles. / The spatial extent of artificial light is increasing rapidly and significantly on Earth surface hence changing the nocturnal lightscape and threatening an important part of ecosystems. The rise in nighttime light levels induces a perturbation of the circadian rhythm and thus a modification of nocturnal, but also some diurnal, species behavior and interactions between species. Despite the spread of light pollution being of major concern, the knowledge gaps in this field limit the creation of regulations to reduce the impact of nighttime lighting on biodiversity. Therefore it is urgent to produce clear and practical information to build tools and define recommendations for land managers. In this context, the aim of the PhD thesis is to study the impact of light pollution on nocturnal fauna through two spatial scales in order to propose methods to evaluate and manage artificial light. We used bats as a model species as they are long-lived and nocturnal and thus highly impacted by light pollution. In addition, it has been shown that their population trends tend to reflect those of species lower in the trophic chain which makes them even more sensitive to anthropic pressures. First, we studied the effect of light pollution within cities. This spatial scale is both coherent with bats distance of movement and with the reality of public lighting management. Although some urban-adapted species living within large cities are considered to benefit from artificial light, this work showed that, at a scale including all aspects of bats daily travels, light has a negative effect on bats activity level. Also, even if a large part of light pollution is due to public lighting, the results show that private lighting should not be neglected. Beyond the impact on bat activity, artificial light can have a barrier effect when individuals are transiting and thus reduce the landscape connectivity. Whereas environmental policies are promoting the development of ecological corridors, not considering light pollution could significantly reduce their efficiency for nocturnal species. Modelling the link between biological data and landscape variables including light level allowed us to build adapted corridors for nocturnal species. This lead to the development of a tool to evaluate lighting scenarios that could be used prior to the implementation of a lighting plan in order to predict the impact it would have and hence adapt it to the local biodiversity issues. At a finer scale, it is necessary to understand which light characteristics are the most relevant levers of actions to formulate recommendations to limit light pollution impact on biodiversity. We carried a field work experiment in a protected area where conservation issues on bat species are even higher as the species most sensitive to light are protected there, together with their habitat, at the EU level. We worked at the interface between urban and semi-natural areas and showed that the illuminance was the most important light characteristic. Hence it is on this parameters that regulations should be applied in priority to limit the impact of light on areas that could potentially be used as corridors or dark refuges for sensitive species.

Humans have a profound impact on ecosystems, and land-use change constitutes a primary driving force in the loss of biodiversity. Habitat loss and fragmentation are key factors in this process by seriously impeding the habitat availability and movement of species, leading to a significant decrease in population viability. Landscape connectivity management able of crossing administrative and ecological spatial and temporal scales has been identified as one of the most important measures to counteract these negative impacts. The use of graph-theory and network-based landscape-ecological tools has become established as a promising way forward to address these issues. Despite urgent needs to adapt and implement such tools in planning, assessment and decision-making, surprisingly little attention has been paid to developing approaches for their effective practical application. This thesis presents the development of a toolbox with network-based, landscape-ecological methods and graph-theoretic indicators, which can be effectively implemented by practitioners within environmental assessment, physical planning and design, to analyze landscape connectivity. Recent advances in network analysis and landscape ecology are brought together and adapted for practical application, bridging the gap between science and practice. The use of participatory approaches was identified as key to successful development, and several workshops, meetings, interviews, as well as prototype testing of the developed software were conducted throughout the study. Input data and selection of species were based on the experience gained through seven real-world cases, commissioned by different governmental organizations within Stockholm County. The practitioners’ perspectives on effective practical application of the proposed toolbox were then assessed through an interview-study. The respondents anticipated improved communication with other actors in addition to being able to better assess critical ecological structures within the landscape. The toolbox was finally tested in a large-scale network analysis of impacts of the regional development plan (RUFS 2010), leading to important insights on the planning of connectivity in an urbanizing region. / <p>QC 20111125</p>

Orientador: Milton Cezar Ribeiro / Resumo: A conectividade é uma propriedade das paisagens que influencia fortemente a abundância e a distribuição da biodiversidade e é chave para entender as interações entre organismos e os processos ecológicos resultantes de tais interações. Como a conectividade da paisagem é afetada tanto pela estrutura da paisagem como pelo comportamento e características dos organismos, tanto fatores intrínsecos quanto extrínsecos devem ser considerados em estudos ecológicos e práticas de conservação que utilizam uma abordagem de paisagens. Aqui nós combinamos elementos de ecologia de paisagens e ecologia do movimento para avaliar os efeitos de mudanças nas paisagens, como a perda e a fragmentação de habitat, sobre a persistência de populações, sobre a conectividade da paisagem, e sobre a dispersão de sementes e a regeneração natural. O foco não foi em um grupo ecológico ou ecossistema específico mas em como a interação entre o espaço e o movimento influenciam processos ecológicos em diferentes contextos. No primeiro capítulo, nós apresentamos uma ferramenta livre e de código aberto, chamada LandScape Metrics (LSMetrics), desenhada para calcular índices da paisagem calibrados ecologicamente, integrando a estrutura das paisagens às características comportamentais das espécies. Nós descrevemos a ferramenta e a aplicamos a dois contextos: a avaliação do status de fragmentação da Amazônia brasileira, que apesar de conter uma extensas áreas de floresta contínua, está sendo rapidamente fragmentada em s... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Landscape connectivity is a property of landscapes that greatly influences biodiversity abundance and distribution and is a key to understand interactions between organisms and the ecological processes provided by them. As landscape connectivity is affected by both landscape structure and the behavior and characteristics of organisms, both intrinsic and extrinsic factors must be considered in ecological studies and conservation planning. Here we combined landscape ecology and movement ecology frameworks to assess the effects of landscape changes such as habitat loss and fragmentation on the persistence of populations, on landscape connectivity, and on seed dispersal and natural regeneration. The focus was not on a specific group or ecosystem but on how the interplay between space and movement influences ecological processes in different contexts. In the first chapter, we presented a free and open source tool, called LandScape Metrics (LSMetrics), designed to calculate ecologically-scaled landscape indices by integrating landscape structure and behavioral characteristics of species. We described the tool and applied it to two contexts: the assessment of the fragmentation status of the Brazilian Amazon, that still present a large extent of continuous forest, but has being rapidly fragmented along its human occupied boundaries; and the design of sampling points for ecological research using a landscape approach, to maximize the representativeness and minimize the correlation bet... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

Orientador: Wesley Rodrigues Silva / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-23T01:10:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ramos_DanielleChristineTenorioLeal_M.pdf: 3214029 bytes, checksum: 790a26e0b392095e69aa0feb27c74277 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: Os recursos necessários à regeneração florestal frequentemente estão esgotados em áreas degradadas, onde a dispersão e o estabelecimento de plantas são limitados. Árvores isoladas assumem uma função importante nesses ambientes por promoverem a concentração da chuva de sementes e um microssítio favorável à germinação e estabelecimento de regenerantes nativos. Em estudo realizado em um pasto abandonado no sul do estado de São Paulo, investigamos os efeitos de características estruturais e funcionais de árvores isoladas e de suas circunvizinhanças na chuva de sementes. Para isso, instalamos coletores de sementes sob 50 árvores isoladas de diferentes espécies e síndromes de dispersão em um pasto aberto. Coletamos sob as copas das árvores uma alta densidade de sementes de, no mínimo, 47 espécies, maior do que a escassa chuva de sementes coletada em pasto aberto. A maioria das espécies de sementes possuía origem externa à área de trabalho. Tais resultados indicam o uso das árvores isoladas pelos dispersores para movimentação na paisagem. Com uso de modelos de equações estruturais, observamos que dentre altura, tamanho de copa e síndrome de dispersão das árvores focais e densidade da vegetação e abundância de plantas zoocóricas na circunvizinhança, apenas a primeira e a última tiveram efeito positivo significativo sobre a riqueza de sementes. Assim, apesar de não observarmos um efeito forte da síndrome de dispersão das árvores focais, nossos resultados demonstram a importância da disponibilidade de frutos para a intensidade da chuva de sementes. A importância relativa das características estruturais e funcionais da vegetação sobre a chuva de sementes descrita neste trabalho pode contribuir para o aprimoramento do manejo de áreas degradadas e conservação de florestas tropicais / Abstract: Necessary resources for forest regeneration are usually depleted in disturbed sites and seed dispersal and seedling establishment are limited. Isolated trees play a fundamental role in those sites by attracting dispersers and concentrating seed rain in micro sites favorable to native species establishment. Here we report the effect of trees and the vegetation's structure and function at their surroundings on the zoochorous seed rain promoted by frugivores in an abandoned pasture in Southeastern Brazil. We installed seed traps beneath 50 isolated trees of different species and dispersal syndromes. In one year, we collected a high seed density of, at least, 47 species underneath the isolated trees, and a scarce seed rain in the open field. The majority of the seed species was allochthonous in the study site, what points for the use of trees as stepping-stones in the landscape by dispersers. Structural equation modelingresulted that trees' canopy size and dispersal syndrome, vegetation cover, and number of surrounding zoochorous trees did not affect seed rain. Only trees' height and number of surrounding zoochorous shrubs and herbs positively affected seed rain richness. Therefore, despite isolated trees' dispersal syndrome was not determinant for seed rain, we concluded that fruits availability is crucial in intensifying it. The relative importance of vegetation structural and functional characteristics on seed rain we described in this study can potentially contribute to improve disturbed sites management and forest conservation / Mestrado / Ecologia / Mestra em Ecologia

Conservation corridors, areas of land connecting patches of natural land cover, are frequently cited and implemented as a restorative strategy to counteract fragmentation. Current corridor ecology focuses on experimental corridor systems or designed and built conservation corridors to assess functionality. Such systems and designs are typically short, straight swaths of homogenous land cover with unambiguous transitions between patches. Quantifying the degree to which amorphous landscape configurations, tortuosity, and heterogeneity of land cover and land uses within the corridor has on functional connectedness is a crucial yet overlooked component of corridor efficacy studies. Corridor literature lacks a robust and repeatable methodology for delineating existing landscape elements, recognizing arbitrary edges, and identifying the start and end of ambiguous transitions between the patches and corridor. Using a set of landscapes being studied as part of a global assessment of corridor efficacy, I designed a workflow that standardizes the boundary of corridor-patch interfaces. The proposed method is a quantitative and repeatable approach that minimizes the subjectivity in corridor delineations. This research investigates the degree to which the existence of a corridor modifies the structural and functional connectivity between patches connected by a corridor compared to an intact reference area.

No description available.

A conversão de vegetação nativa e o uso inadequado das terras convertidas resultam em prejuízos graves para as funções e processos dos ecossistemas, impactando diretamente a provisão de serviços ambientais e o bem-estar da sociedade. Em meio ao elevado nível de degradação e fragmentação de habitats naturais, pesquisadores têm buscado alternativas para promover a sustentabilidade de paisagens modificadas pelo homem, procurando conciliar ações conservacionistas com as necessidades de produção agropecuária e do uso consciente dos recursos naturais. Para contribuir com esse tema, este trabalho apresentou uma metodologia para a priorização de áreas para restauração florestal em paisagens agrícolas. Foram utilizados indicadores biofísicos (perda de solo, escoamento superficial e conectividade da paisagem) e técnicas de modelagem espacial para analisar o efeito de cenários alternativos de uso do solo sobre a conservação do solo, da água e da biodiversidade. Foram criados dois grupos de cenários, sendo que um grupo apresenta cenários com diferentes quantidades e arranjos espaciais da cobertura florestal na paisagem, e outro grupo se refere à cenários com diferentes tamanhos de faixas marginais florestadas no entorno da rede de drenagem. Os resultados do primeiro grupo de cenários demonstraram que o arranjo espacial da cobertura florestal influenciou significativamente a perda de solo e o escoamento superficial, mas não apresentou efeitos significativos para a conectividade da paisagem, que se mostrou dependente apenas da quantidade de cobertura florestal. As maiores sinergias entre os indicadores analisados foram expressas a partir da aplicação conjunta de boas práticas agrícolas e a restauração florestal de áreas críticas para conservação do solo e da água, demonstrando a complementariedade dessas ações no manejo de paisagens agrícolas. Quanto ao segundo grupo de cenários, os resultados demonstraram a influência positiva do tamanho da faixa florestada na capacidade de retenção de sedimentos das zonas ripárias e na conectividade da paisagem, de modo que os melhores resultados foram obtidos com o total recobrimento das Áreas de Preservação Permanente (APPs) por florestas. Observou-se que a quantidade de cobertura florestal influenciou positivamente a capacidade de retenção de sedimentos das APPs, sendo determinante no comportamento dessas áreas como fonte ou filtro de sedimentos para os canais de drenagem. De forma geral, os resultados apresentados neste trabalho demonstraram o potencial de estratégias conservacionistas e de restauração florestal em paisagens agrícolas, ao mesmo tempo que reforçaram as necessidades de planejamento e da inclusão de áreas de produção agropecuária no manejo de paisagens. Em um cenário atual de implementação da Lei de Proteção da Vegetação Nativa e de exigências mais brandas para recomposição de APPs e Reservas Legais em propriedades privadas, os resultados sugerem que apenas as ações de comando e controle podem não ser suficientes para promover a provisão de serviços ambientais e a conservação da biodiversidade em paisagens agrícolas. Desse modo, recomenda-se que haja uma desvinculação do que está previsto em lei com o conceito de paisagens sustentáveis, pois apenas a adequação legal de propriedades rurais pode não ser capaz de assegurar o fornecimento de bens e serviços à sociedade. / The conversion of native vegetation and the inappropriate use of converted land have resulted in severe damage to the natural ecosystem functions and processes, affecting the provision of environmental services and the welfare of society. Due to the high level of degradation and fragmentation of natural habitats, researchers have sought alternatives to promote the sustainability of human modified landscapes, aiming to reconcile conservation actions with the agricultural production needs and the conscious use of natural resources. To contribute to this theme, this thesis presented a methodology for prioritizing areas for forest restoration on agricultural landscapes. Biophysical indicators (soil loss, runoff and landscape connectivity) and spatial modeling techniques were used to analyze the effects of alternative scenarios of land use on the conservation of soil, water and biodiversity. These effects were analyzed on two groups of scenarios, wherein one group presents scenarios with different amounts and spatial arrangements of forest cover on the landscape, and another group refers to scenarios with different sizes of forested riparian buffer zones. The results of the first group of scenarios showed that the spatial arrangement of the forest cover significantly influenced the soil loss and runoff, but did not significantly affect the landscape connectivity, which proved to be dependent only by the amount of forest cover. The highest synergies between the analyzed indicators were expressed with the joint application of best management practices and forest restoration of critical areas for soil and water conservation, demonstrating the complementarity of these actions in the management of agricultural landscapes. Considering the second group of scenarios, the results demonstrated the positive influence of the size of forested riparian buffers on sediment retention capacity of riparian areas and landscape connectivity, and the best results were obtained with the total coverage of the Areas of Permanent Preservation (APPs) by forests. It was observed that the amount of forest cover positively influenced the sediment retention capacity of APPs and determined the behavior of these areas as sediment filter or source for stream channels. Overall, the results presented in this thesis demonstrated the potential of conservation and forest restoration strategies on agricultural landscapes, while it reinforced the needs for planning and for the inclusion of agricultural production areas in landscape management strategies. On current expectations for the implementation of the new Brazilian Forest Act and softer requirements for restoration of APPs and Legal Reserves on private properties, the results suggest that only the command and control actions may not be sufficient to promote the provision of environmental services and biodiversity conservation on agricultural landscapes. Therefore, we recommend the detachment from what is required by law to the concept of sustainable landscapes, because only the legal compliance of rural properties may not be able to ensure the supply of goods and services to society.