Predicting wildlife corridors for multiple species in an East African ungulate community.
Wildlife corridors are typically designed for single species, yet holistic conservation approaches require corridors suitable for multiple species. Modelling habitat linkages for wildlife is based on several modelling steps (each involving multiple choices), and in the case of multi-species corridor...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2022-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265136 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849412036903043072 |
|---|---|
| author | Jason Riggio Katie Foreman Ethan Freedman Becky Gottlieb David Hendler Danielle Radomille Ryan Rodriguez Thomas Yamashita John Kioko Christian Kiffner |
| author_facet | Jason Riggio Katie Foreman Ethan Freedman Becky Gottlieb David Hendler Danielle Radomille Ryan Rodriguez Thomas Yamashita John Kioko Christian Kiffner |
| author_sort | Jason Riggio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Wildlife corridors are typically designed for single species, yet holistic conservation approaches require corridors suitable for multiple species. Modelling habitat linkages for wildlife is based on several modelling steps (each involving multiple choices), and in the case of multi-species corridors, an approach to optimize single species corridors to few or a single functional corridor for multiple species. To model robust corridors for multiple species and simultaneously evaluate the impact of methodological choices, we develop a multi-method approach to delineate corridors that effectively capture movement of multiple wildlife species, while limiting the area required. Using wildlife presence data collected along ground-based line transects between Lake Manyara and Tarangire National Parks, Tanzania, we assessed species-habitat association in both ensemble and stacked species distribution frameworks and used these to estimate linearly and non-linearly scaled landscape resistances for seven ungulate species. We evaluated habitat suitability and least-cost and circuit theory-based connectivity models for each species individually and generated a multi-species corridor. Our results revealed that species-habitat relationships and subsequent corridors differed across species, but the pattern of predicted landscape connectivity across the study area was similar for all seven species regardless of method (circuit theory or least-cost) and scaling of the habitat suitability-based cost surface (linear or non-linear). Stacked species distribution models were highly correlated with the seven species for all model outputs (r = 0.79 to 0.97), while having the greatest overlap with the individual species least-cost corridors (linear model: 61.6%; non-linear model: 60.2%). Zebra was the best single-species proxy for landscape connectivity. Overall, we show that multi-species corridors based on stacked species distribution models achieve relatively low cumulative costs for savanna ungulates as compared to their respective single-species corridors. Given the challenges and costs involved in acquiring data and parameterizing corridor models for multiple species, zebra may act as a suitable proxy species for ungulate corridor conservation in this system. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-90648c488dee46f6b416ed83ce75dd5b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj-art-90648c488dee46f6b416ed83ce75dd5b2025-08-20T03:34:33ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032022-01-01174e026513610.1371/journal.pone.0265136Predicting wildlife corridors for multiple species in an East African ungulate community.Jason RiggioKatie ForemanEthan FreedmanBecky GottliebDavid HendlerDanielle RadomilleRyan RodriguezThomas YamashitaJohn KiokoChristian KiffnerWildlife corridors are typically designed for single species, yet holistic conservation approaches require corridors suitable for multiple species. Modelling habitat linkages for wildlife is based on several modelling steps (each involving multiple choices), and in the case of multi-species corridors, an approach to optimize single species corridors to few or a single functional corridor for multiple species. To model robust corridors for multiple species and simultaneously evaluate the impact of methodological choices, we develop a multi-method approach to delineate corridors that effectively capture movement of multiple wildlife species, while limiting the area required. Using wildlife presence data collected along ground-based line transects between Lake Manyara and Tarangire National Parks, Tanzania, we assessed species-habitat association in both ensemble and stacked species distribution frameworks and used these to estimate linearly and non-linearly scaled landscape resistances for seven ungulate species. We evaluated habitat suitability and least-cost and circuit theory-based connectivity models for each species individually and generated a multi-species corridor. Our results revealed that species-habitat relationships and subsequent corridors differed across species, but the pattern of predicted landscape connectivity across the study area was similar for all seven species regardless of method (circuit theory or least-cost) and scaling of the habitat suitability-based cost surface (linear or non-linear). Stacked species distribution models were highly correlated with the seven species for all model outputs (r = 0.79 to 0.97), while having the greatest overlap with the individual species least-cost corridors (linear model: 61.6%; non-linear model: 60.2%). Zebra was the best single-species proxy for landscape connectivity. Overall, we show that multi-species corridors based on stacked species distribution models achieve relatively low cumulative costs for savanna ungulates as compared to their respective single-species corridors. Given the challenges and costs involved in acquiring data and parameterizing corridor models for multiple species, zebra may act as a suitable proxy species for ungulate corridor conservation in this system.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265136 |
| spellingShingle | Jason Riggio Katie Foreman Ethan Freedman Becky Gottlieb David Hendler Danielle Radomille Ryan Rodriguez Thomas Yamashita John Kioko Christian Kiffner Predicting wildlife corridors for multiple species in an East African ungulate community. PLoS ONE |
| title | Predicting wildlife corridors for multiple species in an East African ungulate community. |
| title_full | Predicting wildlife corridors for multiple species in an East African ungulate community. |
| title_fullStr | Predicting wildlife corridors for multiple species in an East African ungulate community. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Predicting wildlife corridors for multiple species in an East African ungulate community. |
| title_short | Predicting wildlife corridors for multiple species in an East African ungulate community. |
| title_sort | predicting wildlife corridors for multiple species in an east african ungulate community |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265136 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jasonriggio predictingwildlifecorridorsformultiplespeciesinaneastafricanungulatecommunity AT katieforeman predictingwildlifecorridorsformultiplespeciesinaneastafricanungulatecommunity AT ethanfreedman predictingwildlifecorridorsformultiplespeciesinaneastafricanungulatecommunity AT beckygottlieb predictingwildlifecorridorsformultiplespeciesinaneastafricanungulatecommunity AT davidhendler predictingwildlifecorridorsformultiplespeciesinaneastafricanungulatecommunity AT danielleradomille predictingwildlifecorridorsformultiplespeciesinaneastafricanungulatecommunity AT ryanrodriguez predictingwildlifecorridorsformultiplespeciesinaneastafricanungulatecommunity AT thomasyamashita predictingwildlifecorridorsformultiplespeciesinaneastafricanungulatecommunity AT johnkioko predictingwildlifecorridorsformultiplespeciesinaneastafricanungulatecommunity AT christiankiffner predictingwildlifecorridorsformultiplespeciesinaneastafricanungulatecommunity |