Climate-Wise Habitat Connectivity Takes Sustained Stakeholder Engagement

Well-managed and connected protected area networks are needed to combat the 6th mass extinction, yet the implementation of plans intended to secure landscape connectivity remains insufficient. The failure to translate planning efforts into effective action (i.e., the research-implementation gap) hin...

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Main Authors: Morgan Gray, Elisabeth Micheli, Tosha Comendant, Adina Merenlender
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-10-01
Series:Land
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/9/11/413
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spelling doaj-0deff1cae24644ca844dc5d69d73603d2020-11-25T03:53:07ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2020-10-01941341310.3390/land9110413Climate-Wise Habitat Connectivity Takes Sustained Stakeholder EngagementMorgan Gray0Elisabeth Micheli1Tosha Comendant2Adina Merenlender3Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USADwight Center for Conservation Science, Pepperwood, Santa Rosa, CA 95404, USADwight Center for Conservation Science, Pepperwood, Santa Rosa, CA 95404, USADepartment of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USAWell-managed and connected protected area networks are needed to combat the 6th mass extinction, yet the implementation of plans intended to secure landscape connectivity remains insufficient. The failure to translate planning efforts into effective action (i.e., the research-implementation gap) hinders our ability to conserve biodiversity threatened by ongoing climate change and habitat fragmentation. Sustained collaboration between researchers and practitioners to co-produce conservation strategies can bridge this gap by providing end-users with implementation guidance based on legitimate, relevant, and trusted information. However, few case studies capture methods for the co-production and use of climate-wise connectivity knowledge. Here we describe the framework for sustained engagement used by a multi-jurisdictional practitioner network to co-produce climate-wise linkages for the interior coastal ranges in Northern California. We found iterative co-production shaped ecological objectives, input data, analytical methods, and implementation priorities. Stakeholders used both co-produced and local socio-ecological (e.g., development threat, management priorities) knowledge to finalize corridor implementation plans. Priority corridors afforded greater climate benefit and were more likely to connect lands managed by participant organizations. Our results demonstrate how collaborative partnerships can bridge the gap between connectivity research and implementation. Lessons learned, outcomes, and future plans provide insights to advance landscape-scale resilience to climate change.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/9/11/413climate changehabitat connectivityconservation planningknowledge usepermeabilityresearch implementation gap
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Morgan Gray
Elisabeth Micheli
Tosha Comendant
Adina Merenlender
spellingShingle Morgan Gray
Elisabeth Micheli
Tosha Comendant
Adina Merenlender
Climate-Wise Habitat Connectivity Takes Sustained Stakeholder Engagement
Land
climate change
habitat connectivity
conservation planning
knowledge use
permeability
research implementation gap
author_facet Morgan Gray
Elisabeth Micheli
Tosha Comendant
Adina Merenlender
author_sort Morgan Gray
title Climate-Wise Habitat Connectivity Takes Sustained Stakeholder Engagement
title_short Climate-Wise Habitat Connectivity Takes Sustained Stakeholder Engagement
title_full Climate-Wise Habitat Connectivity Takes Sustained Stakeholder Engagement
title_fullStr Climate-Wise Habitat Connectivity Takes Sustained Stakeholder Engagement
title_full_unstemmed Climate-Wise Habitat Connectivity Takes Sustained Stakeholder Engagement
title_sort climate-wise habitat connectivity takes sustained stakeholder engagement
publisher MDPI AG
series Land
issn 2073-445X
publishDate 2020-10-01
description Well-managed and connected protected area networks are needed to combat the 6th mass extinction, yet the implementation of plans intended to secure landscape connectivity remains insufficient. The failure to translate planning efforts into effective action (i.e., the research-implementation gap) hinders our ability to conserve biodiversity threatened by ongoing climate change and habitat fragmentation. Sustained collaboration between researchers and practitioners to co-produce conservation strategies can bridge this gap by providing end-users with implementation guidance based on legitimate, relevant, and trusted information. However, few case studies capture methods for the co-production and use of climate-wise connectivity knowledge. Here we describe the framework for sustained engagement used by a multi-jurisdictional practitioner network to co-produce climate-wise linkages for the interior coastal ranges in Northern California. We found iterative co-production shaped ecological objectives, input data, analytical methods, and implementation priorities. Stakeholders used both co-produced and local socio-ecological (e.g., development threat, management priorities) knowledge to finalize corridor implementation plans. Priority corridors afforded greater climate benefit and were more likely to connect lands managed by participant organizations. Our results demonstrate how collaborative partnerships can bridge the gap between connectivity research and implementation. Lessons learned, outcomes, and future plans provide insights to advance landscape-scale resilience to climate change.
topic climate change
habitat connectivity
conservation planning
knowledge use
permeability
research implementation gap
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/9/11/413
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AT elisabethmicheli climatewisehabitatconnectivitytakessustainedstakeholderengagement
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AT adinamerenlender climatewisehabitatconnectivitytakessustainedstakeholderengagement
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