Planning for Ecological Connectivity across Scales of Governance in a Multifunctional Regional Landscape
Figure 1 from Parrott et al. 2019. The Okanagan valley in British Columbia, Canada. (Details can be found in the paper itself). The dry valley bottoms (light brown) are the northern limit of the shrub-steppe ecosystems extending south to the American Great Basin desert. Light green areas in the valley bottom are irrigated agriculture. Higher elevation areas (darker green) are dominated by lodgepole pine forest.
Figure 2(d) from Parrott et al. 2019, animation illustrating the whole process of deriving the weighted skeleton beginning with the current density mapshowing the process of deriving the weighted skeleton of wildlife corridors, beginning with the Circuitscape current density map.
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Background
Multifunctional landscapes support biodiversity, ecosystem services, and human development, yet they are often governed through fragmented jurisdictions that impede coordinated conservation. As land-use and land-cover change accelerates, particularly in regions outside major metropolitan centers, this governance mismatch frequently results in habitat fragmentation and loss of ecological connectivity. Although the importance of connected habitat networks is well established, connectivity science is rarely translated into tools that planners can readily apply. We addressed this challenge using a rapidly developing, multifunctional landscape in western North America, the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, as an applied case study. Considered a Canadian biodiversity hotspot and one of North America’s most endangered ecoregions, this region retains extensive natural and semi-natural areas but is experiencing intense development pressure, making it an ideal setting to test how landscape-scale connectivity modeling can inform coordinated planning across multiple levels of governance. Approach We developed a translational ecology approach that links advanced connectivity modeling directly to planning practice. Using Circuitscape, we modeled wildlife movement as continuous flow across a resistance surface that accounted for land cover, terrain, and human disturbance. To overcome scale limitations, we created new tiling and mosaicking techniques that allow seamless modeling across very large regions. This enabled the assessment of connectivity at regional scales relevant to planning and governance. Rather than focusing on individual species, we emphasized multi-purpose habitat networks that reflect overall ecological function. To make results usable for planners, we introduced a “skeleton” approach that simplifies complex connectivity surfaces into linear corridor features. We then worked collaboratively with planners, conservation practitioners, and regional stakeholders to ensure these outputs aligned with real policy mechanisms. Key Findings
Impact This project demonstrates how connectivity science can move beyond theory to shape real land-use decisions in high-pressure landscapes. By embedding corridor locations into official community plans and regional policies, we helped ensure ecological connectivity is treated as essential infrastructure rather than an optional conservation goal. Our framework provides a transferable model for other rapidly developing regions seeking to balance human growth with the long-term resilience of ecosystems and the services they provide. |
Resources
The Published Paper : Parrott, L., Kyle, C., Hayot-Sasson, V., Bouchard, C., & Cardille, J. A. (2019). Planning for ecological connectivity across scales of governance in a multifunctional regional landscape. Ecosystems and People, 15(1), 204–213. DOI : https://doi.org/10.1080/26395916.2019.1649726.
