Connecting science, policy, and implementation for landscape‐scale habitat connectivity. Issue 5 (20th August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Brodie, Jedediah F.; Paxton, Midori; Nagulendran, Kangayatkarasu; Balamurugan, G.; Clements, Gopalasamy Reuben; Reynolds, Glen; Jain, Anuj; Hon, Jason
• Is Part Of: Conservation biology. Volume 30:Issue 5(2016:Oct.)
• Page Start: 950
• Page End: 961
• Publication Date: 2016-08-20
• Subjects: deforestation -- extinction -- habitat loss -- Malaysia -- metacommunity -- metapopulation -- persistence -- Southeast Asia -- tropical forest -- wildlife corridor -- bosque tropical -- corredor de vida silvestre -- deforestación -- extinción -- Malasia -- metacomunidad -- metapoblación -- pérdida de hábitat -- persistencia -- sureste de Asia; Conservation biology -- Periodicals; 333.9516
• DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12667
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0888-8892

Abstract

Abstract: We examined the links between the science and policy of habitat corridors to better understand how corridors can be implemented effectively. As a case study, we focused on a suite of landscape‐scale connectivity plans in tropical and subtropical Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, and Bhutan). The process of corridor designation may be more efficient if the scientific determination of optimal corridor locations and arrangement is synchronized in time with political buy‐in and establishment of policies to create corridors. Land tenure and the intactness of existing habitat in the region are also important to consider because optimal connectivity strategies may be very different if there are few, versus many, political jurisdictions (including commercial and traditional land tenures) and intact versus degraded habitat between patches. Novel financing mechanisms for corridors include bed taxes, payments for ecosystem services, and strategic forest certifications. Gaps in knowledge of effective corridor design include an understanding of how corridors, particularly those managed by local communities, can be protected from degradation and unsustainable hunting. There is a critical need for quantitative, data‐driven models that can be used to prioritize potential corridors or multicorridor networks based on their relative contributions to long‐term metacommunity persistence.