Conservation through connection : a spatial assessment of landscape connectivity in the central Apennine Mountains, Italy

• Main Author: McLure, Joanne Tara
• Published: University of Reading 2006
• Subjects: 333.95416
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.494984

A method for assessing landscape connectivity within a regional-scale landscape is presented and has been applied to the Central Apennine Mountains, Italy. Habitat fragmentation is apparent in this region where human development in valley areas has created barriers to the successful disppersal of wildlife between protected highland zone The objective was to assess current landscape connectivity for selected large carnivore species (grey wolf, brown bear and Eurasian lynx) and detect locations where habitat restoration efforts should be targeted. Land cover data were analysed to define suitable habitat core areas for each species, these were considered connected if their separation was below an estimated maximum dispersal distance. To account for disturbance in the intervening matrix, distances between habitat core areas were measured using least-cost path analysis across a resistance weighted surface.