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Urban landscapes, biodiversity, and habitat connectivity

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  • Urban landscapes, biodiversity, and habitat connectivity
Andrew Chin, University of Toronto
Namrata Shrestha, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
Jonathan Ruppert, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
Tiziana Gelmi Candusso, University of Toronto
David Lawrie, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
Marie-Josee Fortin, University of Toronto
Mitigation / restoration
Technical Session 16: Conserving Habitat Connectivity within an Urban Context

Urbanization in a fragmented mosaic of habitat patches is an ongoing process leading to the impediment of movement and wildlife mortality. Modifications to natural landscapes that alter the amount and configuration of habitat can make it difficult to undertake movements critical to life cycle processes for many species. Using a circuit theory approach, we identified critical areas for movement to highlight areas for protection to ensure habitat connectivity is maintained. Furthermore, we identified areas with a high degree of wildlife movement to prioritize ecopassage implementation. We used three approaches to meet these objectives within the jurisdiction of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. First, we assessed regional connectivity priorities using a broad connectivity model that represented connectivity between high quality natural cover patches and the impediment to movement based on landcover types. Second, we assessed regional connectivity priorities based on habitat patch types with broad avian and amphibian movement guilds. We considered movement for forest-forest and wetland-wetland habitat patches for avian movement guilds as well as forest-wetland and wetland-wetland habitat patches for amphibian movement guilds. These two approaches identified critical pinch points for movement, which define important habitat connections across the region and habitat patch types. Third, we prioritized ecopassage implementation based on regional connectivity and additional watershed-level results for the Etobicoke Creek watershed for amphibian and mammal species at potential road crossing conflict areas. Our results show that regional connectivity is vital in the Greenbelt of the region and that the ravine system is a critical conduit of movement within the Toronto region as it links important habitat patches in the urban environment. However, these exact links also vary greatly between habitat type, indicating the need for a functional approach (i.e. movement guilds) to assess connectivity. Altogether by assessing the response of multiple taxa, we can provide a sensitivity assessment to identify important corridors of movement and habitat patches to sustain connectivity but may also be at risk due to high road mortality in an increasingly fragmented urbanized landscape.

urban
biodiversity
connectivity
Prioritization
Modelling
Landscape

Header image courtesy of Martin Gradjean -- Air Traffic Network

ICOET 2025 — International Conference On Ecology and Transportation