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Landscape connectivity for an endangered carnivore: habitat conservation and road mitigation for ocelots in the US

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Abstract

Context

Maintaining landscape connectivity for wildlife has become a conservation priority in response to increasing land development and road networks. Roads affect many wildlife populations worldwide, with the distribution and density of roads having negative impacts on gene flow and landscape connectivity.

Objectives

We aimed to identify areas along roadways that promote movement in a fragmented landscape. Our objective was to gain a deeper understanding of drivers of connectivity in a patchwork landscape of human uses.

Methods

We applied a spatial absorbing Markov chain (SAMC) framework to test hypotheses about landscape connectivity for a federally endangered carnivore, the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis). We modeled landscape connectivity for ocelots based on spatio-temporal trends in habitat use, which we derived using telemetry dataset collected 1982–2017. We compared three increasingly restrictive resistance surfaces to predict trends in landscape connectivity.

Results

Ocelot avoidance of high-traffic roads (> 5000 cars/day) largely influenced patterns of predicted connectivity. We simulated connectivity between habitat patches and identified highly connected areas of conservation concern due to proximity to high-traffic roads. Connectivity was greatly influenced by ocelot habitat use rather than resistance scenarios. Further, we found no evidence of connectivity between populations of ocelots, indicating isolation within a fragmented landscape.

Conclusion

Our spatially-explicit results describing landscape connectivity with respect to roads provides critical information needed for strategic placement of wildlife crossing structures. Wildlife crossing structures for resident ocelots should be placed in areas of relatively high conductance near roads with well-connected habitat on both sides of the road. We describe an approach that leverages long-term habitat use data for examining connectivity and improving landscape permeability.

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Data availability

The dataset analyzed in this current study are from previously published work (Lombardi et al. in review; Sergeyev et al. in review; Veals et al. 2022).

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Acknowledgements

We appreciate support from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, East Foundation, and Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute (CKWRI) at Texas A&M University-Kingsville for assistance with the collection of data. Thank you to L. Laack, J. Lombardi, J. Leonard, A. Blackburn, A. Branney, M. Sergeyev, N. Dutt, and D. Crawford for data and additional assistance. Guidance was provided by R. Gelston of the Pharr District at Texas Department of Transportation, staff from the East Foundation, as well as R. Fletcher and A. Marx from the University of Florida. This manuscript is number 076 from the East Foundation and 22–108 from CKWRI. We thank R. DeYoung, D. Scognamillo, and J. Lombardi at CKWRI and anonymous reviewers who helped improve this manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by the Texas Department of Transportation: Environmental Affairs Division.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University, 700 E. University Blvd., MSC 218, Kingsville, TX, 78363, USA

    Amanda M. Veals, Michael J. Cherry & Michael E. Tewes

  2. Department of Zoology & Physiology, Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, 804 E. Fremont St., Laramie, WY, 82072, USA

    Joseph D. Holbrook

  3. East Foundation, 200 Concord Plaza Dr., Suite 410, San Antonio, TX, 78216, USA

    Tyler A. Campbell

  4. Environmental Affairs Division, Texas Department of Transportation, 118 E. Riverside Dr., Austin, TX, 78701, USA

    John H. Young Jr.

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Contributions

Conceptualization: AMV, JDH, MJC, JHY, MET. Funding Acquisition: TAC, JHY, MET. Statistical Analysis: AMV, JDH, MJC. Writing: AMV, JDH, MJC, TAC, JHY, MET.

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Correspondence to Amanda M. Veals.

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Veals, A.M., Holbrook, J.D., Cherry, M.J. et al. Landscape connectivity for an endangered carnivore: habitat conservation and road mitigation for ocelots in the US. Landsc Ecol 38, 363–381 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-022-01569-8

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