A three-step approach for assessing landscape connectivity via simulated dispersal: African wild dog case study.

ABSTRACT:

Context

Dispersal of individuals contributes to long-term population persistence, yet requires a sufficient degree of landscape connectivity. To date, connectivity has mainly been investigated using least-cost analysis and circuit theory, two methods that make assumptions that are hardly applicable to dispersal. While these assumptions can be relaxed by explicitly simulating dispersal trajectories across the landscape, a unified approach for such simulations is lacking.

Objectives

Here, we propose and apply a simple three-step approach to simulate dispersal and to assess connectivity using empirical GPS movement data and a set of habitat covariates.

Methods

In step one of the proposed approach, we use integrated step-selection functions to fit a mechanistic movement m

SUBMITTER: Hofmann DD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10020313 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature