Species are adapted to particular environmental conditions, but are threatened as climate change shifts habitat conditions. One way species can respond is by moving to new suitable locations, known as climate-driven range shifts. But some species can move more easily and/or more quickly than others, and some landscapes are more difficult to cross. In the upper Midwest, the movement potential of many species is reduced by broad expanses of row-crop agriculture, roads and other types of development that fragment the remaining habitat. It is important to sustain and improve connectivity across landscapes so they can continue to support biodiversity and ecosystem services like water filtration, carbon storage, pollinator support, or recreational activities.
This project will engage in a collaborative process with land managers and other interested parties to build connectivity models and assessments of ecosystem services to prioritize areas for habitat restoration. Connectivity modeling tools can help explain how species respond to landscape patterns and other important factors like the intensity of climate change exposure in different parts of the landscape.
Outcomes from this project include maps of connectivity and ecosystem service benefits to inform management decisions by conservation practitioners, and a recorded webinar about using the products. By linking wildlife, ecological, and social benefits, these results will help managers better coordinate their actions, and to engage a broader segment of the public in support of these actions.
