Connecting Landscapes for Conservation in a Changing World

Abstract

Life on Earth has been continuously changing, but in the past centuries, the intensity and rate of these changes have drastically increased, leading to biodiversity declines in practically all ecosystems (Ostberg et al. 2015; Newbold et al. 2019). From all the global threats to biodiversity, land-use change and climate change are among the most important, and their relevance is likely to increase in the future (Titeux et al. 2016). In this context, organisms need to move, in the short term to disperse and colonize new habitats or forage for resources and in the long term in response to the changing conditions of their original habitats. Two ecological subdisciplines deal closely with these topics: corridor ecology and landscape ecology. Two recent books cover these disciplines with different focuses and levels of detail. Essentials of Landscape Ecology is clearly aimed at ecologists and students of landscape ecology, whereas the authors of Corridor Ecology write for a broader readership, ranging from students and scientists to policy makers and conservationists. Nevertheless, both books lean on classical ecological theory and recent literature to share knowledge. The second edition of Corridor Ecology, by Hilty et al., comes almost 15 years after the first one and brings more than an update of the relevant literature. The authors have a solid scientific background in corridor and landscape ecology together with ample experience in conservation, which is a valuable combination for the type of message they want to deliver. The structure of the book is slightly different from the first edition, but I am unsure if this is useful. Although the same sections can still be distinguished, some changes in the order of the chapters are not always logical. The first section fo-cuses on the ecological principles, theory, and concepts of the ecology of corridors. It starts with a clear and concise description of habitat loss, fragmentation, and climate change, which leads one to the conclusion that animals and plants need habitat connectivity in order to persist. Then, the authors present ecological theory of populations and communities living in fragmented and isolated habitat mosaics. Mathematical models are used to explain some of these theories in detail, and while this might be hard to follow for some readers, the explanations in the text are simple. After setting the foundation , the next chapters detail how to achieve connectiv-ity through the use of corridors. By showing examples of different corridors, the authors highlight what one needs to consider when planning for a corridor in terms of the expected goals, the focus on different levels of biodiversity , and the potential ways to measure connectivity and efficiency. The examples and concepts are diverse and go from traditional corridors that increase structural con-nectivity in an attempt to benefit many species to those designed using species-level information on movement and functional connectivity. Increasing connectivity can also bring unexpected results, and a series of examples provide a warning on how edge effects, invasive species, environmental filtering, and genetic erosion can cause negative consequences. Only two parts near the end of the book are entirely new additions. One is about how species deal with climate change and how conservation strategies might help them. Whether by maintaining well-connected climate analogs or guaranteeing the conservation of climate refu-gia (locations that better buffer climate change), climate-wise connectivity is needed. The second presents an interesting topic that seems to be advancing fast: ecological connectivity in the ocean. As an insect ecologist myself, I never thought about connectivity in this context and how to achieve it. Carr and Hazen, the invited authors of this chapter, provide several examples of how new technologies allowed the understanding of both pelagic and coastal connectivity, point out how marine corridors can have a key role for conservation, and warn about the current threats these ecosystems face. The closing chapter provides an applied perspective on how to implement and conserve corridors, including a review of the motivations and incentives for landowners to preserve their land. These concepts are supported by seven examples of existing corridors from around the world, covering different scales, ecosystems, and management strategies, which, in addition to a research agenda for the future, is a good and optimistic way to end the book. In Essentials of Landscape Ecology, Kymberly A. With summarizes her extensive experience in researching 752