As habitats around the globe continue to shrink and fragment rapidly, many species rely on the ability to move across large landscapes to survive. Ecological connectivity, which maintains links between important areas so wildlife can find resources, reproduce, and adapt, is a critical component of conservation planning and management.
Advances in science have greatly improved our ability to map and model these connections, yet translating that knowledge into effective action on the ground remains a significant challenge. Closing this gap is essential to sustaining healthy landscapes for both wildlife and people.
Naidoo, R., Aylward, C., Elliott, W., Keeley, A., Kinnaird, M., Knight, M., Papp, C.R., Thapa, K. and Antelo, R. 2025. From science to impact: Conserving ecological connectivity in large conservation landscapes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 122(31): e2410937122.
A new perspective outlines a “theory of change” (ToC) for conserving connectivity in large, complex landscapes, drawing on case studies from four continents: the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (southern Africa; KAZA), Terai Arc Landscape (Nepal/India; TAL), Pantanal-Chaco (South America; PACHA), and the Carpathian Ecoregion (Europe). The ToC integrates advanced connectivity science with governance, finance, and community-led approaches to move from research to on-the-ground conservation impact.
The ToC begins with mapping ecological networks, followed by embedding connectivity needs into spatial planning to guide development away from critical linkages. It includes three primary interventions:
- Maintaining connectivity through legal corridor designation, deforestation-free supply chains, and Indigenous and local community land tenure security.
- Managing connectivity by ensuring that land-use practices within corridors facilitate wildlife movement and gene flow.
- Restoring connectivity in areas where linkages have been lost, often through reforestation, habitat rehabilitation, and infrastructure mitigation such as wildlife crossings.
Across the case studies, the authors find progress but also declines in functional connectivity over the past two decades in three of the four landscapes. For example, KAZA’s seasonal wildlife migrations face growing threats from fencing, human expansion, and climate-induced drought. In the Terai Arc, structural forest gains and community stewardship have increased tiger movement opportunities, but genetic data suggest limited recent gene flow. PACHA’s jaguar corridors are being protected and monitored through a blend of Indigenous engagement, policy advocacy, and economic incentives, but still face ongoing deforestation pressures. The Carpathians have seen some connectivity gains but still suffer from high fragmentation and infrastructure threats.
A cross-landscape analysis using the protected area isolation metric from 2000–2018 shows small but notable increases in isolation for KAZA, TAL, and PACHA, and a slight decrease for the Carpathians. These trends highlight both the persistence of threats and the extent to which targeted interventions can be effective.
Ultimately, lasting connectivity conservation depends on aligning local actions with broader conditions that support them:
- Governance: including connectivity in global frameworks like the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and national policies.
- Finance: leveraging conservation funding and corporate commitments to establish and maintain corridors.
- Market: ensuring economic systems reward connectivity-friendly practices.
In the end, it’s a race against time to integrate scientific advances with inclusive conservation and policy frameworks before threats such as climate change, infrastructure growth, and land conversion irreversibly damage connectivity. Applying the ToC at a global scale offers a way to protect the ecological networks necessary for both wildlife and humans.
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