Case studies: Conserving ecological corridors in ecological networks
This first compendium of case studies is originally published in the IUCN Guidelines for Conserving Connectivity through Ecological Networks and Corridors. They are intended to illustrate initiatives around the world that are working toward maintaining, enhancing and restoring ecological connectivity. The case studies offer insight into the breadth of approaches being used to advance conservation of ecological corridors to benefit ecological networks in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Each case study describes the context and challenges to connectivity in the study region, explains the approach to conservation, presents an example of an ecological corridor in the network, and shares some results. The case studies were selected to demonstrate a variety of ecological networks for conservation and ecological corridors within them, as well as a variety of approaches to their conservation. These examples can help us understand both the diversity of current efforts and the need to move toward formalising ecological corridors as elements of ecological networks for conservation.
Filter the table by realm (terrestrial, freshwater or marine) and continent using dropdown menus below
| Case study title | Continent | Realm | Greatest threat to connectivity | Approaches to conserving ecological corridors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kilimanjaro Landscape: Ensuring the viability of wildlife populations | Africa | terrestrial | habitat loss and fragmentation | • conservation lease programme for private landowners |
| Connectivity conservation in the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area: The Zambezi-Chobe Floodplain Wildlife Dispersal Area | Africa | terrestrial | deforestation, uncontrolled settlements, overgrazing, over-exploitation of fish, uncontrolled fires | • establishment of a five-country transfrontier conservation area • development of integrated development plans • creating awareness and engaging local stakeholders • establishment of community conservancies • promotion of conservation agriculture • establishment of wildlife sanctuaries |
| Conserving six landscapes of the Albertine Rift to ensure connectivity | Africa | terrestrial | habitat loss and fragmentation | • facilitating cooperation • developing sustainable-use community areas |
| The Kilombero Valley Ramsar site, United Republic of Tanzania | Africa | terrestrial | sustained human immigration and growing settlements and agriculture | • designation as a Ramsar site • transitional governance approach from central management of large protected areas to management of a mosaic of smaller protected areas |
| Ecological corridor for the reunion of giant pandas in the Qinling landscape | Asia | terrestrial | highway and human land use | • baseline survey and mapping • habitat restoration • community engagement • traffic management • capacity enhancement • wildlife monitoring |
| Thailand’s experience in ecologically connecting its protected areas | Asia | terrestrial | deforestation and conversion of forests into plantations | • establishment of non-hunting areas and buffer zones • management of lands for connectivity |
| East Coast Conservation Corridor in Tasmania | Australia | terrestrial | land use change | • restoration • land use planning • management for connectivity |
| The Great Eastern Ranges: Australia’s first continental-scale ecological network for conservation | Australia | terrestrial | land degradation | • restoration • conservation by private landowners • community education • biological surveys • research programs |
| COREHABS to BearConnect: Securing ROAMing in the wilderness corner of Europe | Europe | terrestrial | rapid infrastructure development | • identification and assessment of ecological corridors • integration of protected areas and ecological corridors into cadastral plans and land registers |
| Ecological connectivity in an urban context: Utrechtse Heuvelrug, Netherlands | Europe | terrestrial | pressures from infrastructure, urban expansion, intensive agriculture and recreation | • landscape defragmentation through road crossings and open space preservation |
| The Spanish National Network of Drover’s Roads (Vías Pecuarias) | Europe | terrestrial | loss of extensive livestock farming and transhumance | • legal protection • ecological corridor demarcation • fostering of extensive livestock farming, encouragement of young people to transhumance and cattle farming • restoration • education • exploitation of multifunctionality |
| ECONET: Ecological network in the Kostroma Region, Russia | Europe | terrestrial | deforestation | • ecological network consisting of protected areas and ecological corridors • protected areas with different regimes of multifunctional activities |
| Sustaining forested landscape connections in the northern Appalachians: The Staying Connected Initiative | North America | terrestrial | fragmentation from roads and human development | • focus work in nine highest-priority linkage areas • strategic land protection • land use planning • community outreach and engagement • habitat restoration • transportation mitigation |
| Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y): Connecting and protecting one of the most intact mountain ecosystems | North America | terrestrial | fragmentation from roads and human development | • protection of areas important for biodiversity • restoration and maintenance of areas for ecological connectivity • direction of development away from areas of biological importance • promotion of people and wildlife living in harmony |
| Conserving long-distance migration: The Red Desert to Hoback Mule Deer Corridor, Wyoming, USA | North America | terrestrial | human development | • detailed mapping of migration routes • assessments of land use patterns and threats along the routes • land protection • land management • road crossings |
| Corridors for life: Improving livelihoods and connecting forests in Brazil | South America | terrestrial | landscape fragmentation from agriculture and settlements | • vision plan for large-scale reforestation • enlargement and eventual connection of forest fragments through reforestation • adoption of biodiversity-friendly land use options • promotion of change in land-use practices • adoption of sustainable agriculture and agroforestry • improvement of farmers’ livelihoods • carbon offsets |
| Connectivity, ecosystem services and nature-based solutions in land use planning in Costa Rica | Central America | terrestrial | human development | • municipal land management plans |
| The Jaguar Corridor Initiative: A range- wide species conservation strategy | Central and South America | terrestrial | human land use changes | • modelled ecological corridors • prioritised populations and ecological corridors • validated modelled corridors using a rapid- assessment interview-based methodology • varied implementation action at local level |
| Grassroots reserves have strong benefit for river ecosystems in the Salween River Basin | Asia | freshwater | overfishing | • ecological networks of small riverine reserves |
| The ecological corridor Mura-Drava- Danube and future five-country biosphere reserve | Europe | freshwater | human land use changes | • transboundary cooperation for harmonised conservation, integrated management and restoration • establishment of a transboundary biosphere reserve |
| Pacific salmon watersheds: Restoring lost connections | North America | freshwater | dams hindering fish migrations | • dam removal and mitigation to benefit salmon and other migratory fishes |
| Fragmentation of riparian protections throughout catchments, Oregon, USA | North America | freshwater | human land uses and fragmented land protections along the continuum of the river | • development of an understanding of the mosaic of protective efforts to identify gaps in them |
| Protection of the free-flowing Bita River | South America | freshwater | extractive industries, livestock grazing, large timber plantations, and urbanisation | • formation of an alliance • working with local stakeholders • decision-making framework to choose best conservation actions • protection as a Ramsar site |
| The Great Barrier Reef – Systematically protecting connectivity without connectivity data | Australia | marine | recurrent coral reef bleaching, cyclones, invasive species outbreaks, poor water quality, unsustainable fishing, dredging and coastal development | • networks of strategically placed marine reserves • zoning based on systematic planning principles |
| Northern Channel Islands: Connectivity across a network of marine protected areas contributes to positive population and ecosystem consequences | North America | marine | human impacts such as fisheries, invasive species, and climate change | • marine protected area network with resulting ecological corridors |