Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Forecasting Seasonal Habitat Connectivity In A Developing Landscape, Katherine A. Zeller, Jacan M. Bauder, Javan M. Bauder, Stephen Destefano

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Connectivity and wildlife corridors are often key components to successful conservation and management plans. Connectivity for wildlife is typically modeled in a static environment that reflects a single snapshot in time. However, it has been shown that, when compared with dynamic connectivity models, static models can underestimate connectivity and mask important population processes. Therefore, including dynamism in connectivity models is important if the goal is to predict functional connectivity. We incorporated four levels of dynamism (individual, daily, seasonal, and interannual) into an individual-based movement model for black bears (Ursus americanus) in Massachusetts, USA. We used future development projections to model …