Life Sciences Commons^™

Coupled Ecological And Management Connectivity Across Administrative Boundaries In Undeveloped Landscapes, Clare E. Aslan, Mark W. Brunson, Benjamin A. Sikes, Rebecca S. Epanchin-Niell, Samuel Veloz, David M. Theobald, Brett G. Dickson

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Human-induced ecological boundaries, or anthropogenic ecotones, may arise where administrative boundaries meet on undeveloped lands. Landscape-level ecological processes related to factors such as fire, invasive species, grazing, resource extraction, wildlife, and water may be affected due to unique management strategies adopted by each administrative unit. Over time, different management can result in discernible ecological differences (e.g., species composition or soil characteristics). Thus, fragmentation in the management landscape can correspond to ecological fragmentation. Different ecological patterns may emerge due to an increase in the number of management units in a region, or due to an increase in the number of different …