Colombia is home to the world’s greatest diversity of avifauna, with nearly 2,000 species that make up almost 20% of the global total of bird species. This makes preserving ecological connections vital for conserving this extraordinary diversity. Identifying these connections could provide guidance on where to focus conservation and restoration efforts to facilitate bird movements that are key to preserving populations and enabling species to adapt to threats like climate change and deforestation.
Triana, D.L., Correa-Ayram, C.A. and Velásquez-Tibata, J. 2023. Prioritizing ecological connectivity among protected areas in Colombia using a functional approach for birds. Global Ecology and Conservation 48: e02713.
To create this framework, a new study developed habitat suitability models for 26 tropical forest birds to identify corridors and priority sites for maintaining connectivity among protected areas at the national scale. Expert-derived resistance surfaces were used alongside species distributions to map least-cost corridors linking 723 protected areas with suitable habitat. Pinch points and barriers to movement were identified and mapped as opportunities for restoring habitat connectivity through reforestation.
The analysis found over 581,000 km2 of corridors composed mainly of forests, which connect protected areas across Colombia’s diverse regions. Around 212,000 km2 of land within corridors was pinpointed as priority conservation sites located predominantly in Andean and Amazon forests. Restoration opportunities totaling almost 80,000 km2 were concentrated in agricultural lands and grasslands of the Andes and Caribbean, with the potential to increase forest cover by 7% and connectivity by 14% if restored.
The study delivers key information to support Colombia’s commitments to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration by providing spatial guidance on where to focus reforestation efforts to enhance habitat connectivity at the national scale. Findings will directly assist Colombia in fulfilling its 2030 biodiversity targets and post-2020 strategic plan for protected areas by highlighting priority corridors and sites for expanded protection and integrated management to maintain connectivity. This framework could be adapted and applied in other tropical countries to identify critical corridors and sites for protecting biodiversity.
Importantly, this study’s connectivity mapping results are publicly accessible for visualization from the National Audubon Society. Open access to the multi-species connectivity analysis enables further applications and extensions of the framework by the conservation community. By facilitating the integration of these novel connectivity layers into new decision-support tools and planning processes focused on protected areas and ecosystem restoration, the potential conservation impact of the study can be multiplied well beyond Colombia’s borders.
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