School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Xianlin Avenue 163, Nanjing, 210023, China.
School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Nanjing University, No. 22, Hankou Road, Nanjing, 210093, China.
Conserv Biol. 2021 Aug;35(4):1140-1150. doi: 10.1111/cobi.13682. Epub 2021 Jan 21.
Ongoing, rapid urban growth accompanied by habitat fragmentation and loss challenges biodiversity conservation and leads to decreases in ecosystem services. Application of the concept of ecological networks in the preservation and restoration of connections among isolated patches of natural areas is a powerful conservation strategy. However, previous approaches often failed to objectively consider the impacts of complex 3-D city environments on ecological niches. We used airborne lidar-derived information on the 3-D structure of the built environment and vegetation and detailed land use and cover data to characterize habitat quality, niche diversity, and human disturbance and to predict habitat connectivity among 38 identified habitat core areas (HCAs) in Nanjing, China. We used circuit theory and Linkage Mapper to create a landscape resistance layer, simulate habitat connectivity, and identify and prioritize important corridors. We mapped 64 links by using current flow centrality to evaluate each HCA's contribution and the links that facilitate intact connectivity. Values were highest for HCA links located in the west, south, and northeast of the study area, where natural forests with complex 3-D structures predominate. Two smaller HCA areas had high centrality scores relative to their extents, which means they could act as important stepping stones in connectivity planning. The mapped pinch-point regions had narrow and fragile links among the HCAs, suggesting they require special protection. The barriers with the highest impact scores were mainly located at the HCA connections to Purple Mountain and, based on these high scores, are more likely to indicate important locations that can be restored to improve potential connections. Our novel framework allowed us to sufficiently convey spatially explicit information to identify targets for habitat restoration and potential pathways for species movement and dispersal. Such information is critical for assessing existing or potential habitats and corridors and developing strategic plans to balance habitat conservation and other land uses based on scientifically informed connectivity planning and implementation.
持续的快速城市增长伴随着生境破碎化和丧失，给生物多样性保护带来挑战，导致生态系统服务功能下降。在保护和恢复自然区域隔离斑块之间的联系方面，应用生态网络的概念是一种强有力的保护策略。然而，以前的方法往往未能客观考虑复杂的 3-D 城市环境对生态位的影响。我们使用机载激光雷达衍生的有关建筑物环境和植被的 3-D 结构的信息以及详细的土地利用和覆盖数据来描述生境质量、生态位多样性以及人类干扰，并预测在中国南京的 38 个确定的生境核心区（HCA）之间的生境连通性。我们使用电路理论和 Linkage Mapper 创建了一个景观阻力层，模拟生境连通性，并识别和确定重要的走廊。我们使用当前流量中心性映射了 64 条链接，以评估每个 HCA 的贡献以及促进完整连通性的链接。位于研究区西部、南部和东北部的 HCA 链接的值最高，那里有复杂的 3-D 结构的天然森林占主导地位。两个较小的 HCA 区域相对于其范围具有较高的中心性得分，这意味着它们可以在连通性规划中充当重要的踏脚石。映射的瓶颈区域中 HCA 之间的链接狭窄而脆弱，表明它们需要特殊保护。具有最高影响得分的障碍主要位于 HCA 与紫金山的连接点，基于这些高分，可以更清楚地表明重要的位置，这些位置可以进行修复以改善潜在的连接。我们的新框架能够充分传达空间明确的信息，以确定生境恢复的目标以及物种移动和扩散的潜在途径。这些信息对于评估现有或潜在的栖息地和走廊以及制定战略计划以平衡基于科学连通性规划和实施的生境保护和其他土地利用至关重要。
