Top 5 Digests of 2024

An assessment of three protected area networks using 17 different structural connectivity metrics shows that simply reporting the area percentage of land protected seems to be accurate enough to capture gains in connectivity, making it easier for policy makers and managers to implement plans.

Butterfly surveys in Italy show that multiple factors – connectivity between green spaces, surrounding land use, and habitat quality – play a role in endangered species conservation in cities, adding to the ways that urban areas can contribute to large-scale network connectivity.

A framework to identify stepping stone habitat incorporates data on landscape structure, habitat quality, and biodiversity, and can be adapted to fit the needs of specific regions or species of concerns.

Virginia, Oregon, and New Mexico created their own Wildlife Corridor Action Plans, which allow state transportation agencies and wildlife agencies to collaborate to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions by prioritizing areas where wildlife and infrastructure are disproportionately in conflict.

A review of over 300 studies on crossing structures shows that we still lack basic information, such as how well different designs work, whether there are thresholds that limit how much wildlife movement can be preserved, what happens to species that aren’t mammals, and how to compare movement levels before and after road construction.