Applications

Conefor Sensinode and the new IIC and PC metrics have been used in a wide variety of conservation and management plans, scientific studies, and official reports on biodiversity indicators by the European Commission and the European Environmental Agency, among other connectivity-related applications.

The following map shows the approximate location of the different case studies that have applied the Conefor Sensinode software package and the new connectivity metrics there implemented. Click on the icons in the map for a reference and link with further details for each study. A larger version of this map is available here. The list of publications where these applications have been reported is included below.

Applications published as articles in international peer-reviewed scientific journals:

• Saura, S., Vogt, P., Velázquez, J., Hernando, A., Tejera, R. 2011. Key structural connectors can be identified by combining landscape spatial pattern and network analyses. Forest Ecology and Management 262: 150-160.
• Awade, M., Boscolo, D., Metzger, J.P. 2011. Using binary and probabilistic habitat availability indices derived from graph theory to model bird occurrence in fragmented forests. Landscape Ecology (in press).
• Pereira, M., Segurado, P, Neves, N. 2011. Using spatial network structure in landscape management and planning: a case study with pond turtles. Landscape and Urban Planning 100: 67-76.
• Rippa, D., Maselli, V., Soppelsa, O., Fulgione, D. 2011. The impact of agro-pastoral abandonment on the Rock Partridge Alectoris graeca in the Appenines. Ibis 153: 721-734.
• García-Feced, C., Saura, S., Elena-Rosselló, E. 2011. Improving landscape connectivity in forest districts: a two-stage process for prioritiziting agricultural patches for conservation. Forest Ecology and Management 261: 154-161.
• Ribeiro, R., Carretero, M.A, Sillero, N., Alarcos, G., Ortiz-Santaliestra, M.,Lizana, M., Llorente, G.A. 2011. The pond network: can structural connectivity reflect on (amphibian) biodiversity patterns? Landscape Ecology 26: 673-682.
• Zozaya, E., Brotons, L., Saura, S. 2011. Recent fire history and connectivity patterns determine bird species distribution dynamics in landscapes dominated by land abandonment. Landscape Ecology (in press).
• Decout, S., Manel, S., Miaud, C., Luque, S. 2011. Integrative approach for landscape-based graph connectivity analysis: a case study with the common frog (Rana temporaria) in human-dominated landscapes. Landscape Ecology (in press).
• Zeigler, S.L., Neel, M.C., Oliveira, L., Raboy, B.R., Fagan, W.F. 2011. Conspecific and heterospecific attraction in assesssments of functional connectivity. Biodiversity and Conservation 20: 2779-2796.
• Carranza, M.L., D'Alessandro, E., Saura, S., Loy, A. 2011. Connectivity providers for semi-aquatic vertebrates: the case of the endangered otter in Italy. Landscape Ecology (in press).
• Mitsova, D., Shuster, W., Wang, X. 2011. A cellular automata model of land cover change to integrate urban growth with open space conservation. Landscape and Urban Planning 99: 141-153.
• Morzillo, A.T., Ferrari, J.R., Liu, J. 2011. An integration of habitat evaluation, individual based modeling, and graph theory for a potential black bear population recovery in southeastern Texas, USA. Landscape Ecology 26: 69-81.
• Gurrutxaga, M., Rubio, L., Saura S. 2011. Key connectors in protected area networks and the impact of highways: a transnational case study from the Cantabrian Range to the Western Alps. Landscape and Urban Planning 101: 310-320.
• Laita, A., Kotiaho, J.S., Mönkkönnen, M. 2011. Graph-theoretic connectivity measures: what do they tell us about connectivity? Landscape Ecology 26: 951-967.
• Erös, T., Schmera, D., Schick, R.S. 2011. Network thinking in riverscape conservation: a graph-based approach. Biological Conservation 144: 184-192.
• Baranyi, G., Saura, S., Podani, J., Jordán, F. 2011. Contribution of habitat patches to network connectivity: redundancy and uniqueness of topological indices. Ecological Indicators 11: 1301-1310.
• Smith, M.J., Betts, M.G., Forbes, G.J., Kehler, D.G., Bourgeois, M.C., Flemming, S.P. 2011. Independent effects of connectivity predict homing success by northern squirrel in a forest mosaic. Landscape Ecology 26: 709-721.
• Saura, S., Estreguil, C., Mouton, C., Rodríguez-Freire, M. 2011. Network analysis to assess landscape connectivity trends: application to European forests (1990-2000). Ecological Indicators 11: 407-416.
  
• Suzart, F., Teixeira, M.J., Gálvez-Bravo, L., Cayuela, L., Rueda, M., Rey-Benayas, J.M. 2011. Identification of critical areas for mammal conservation in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve. Natureza & Conservação 9: 73-78.
• Laita, A., Mönkkönnen, M., Kotiaho, J.S. 2010. Woodland key habitats evaluated as part of a functional reserve network. Biological Conservation 143: 1212-1227.
• Vergara, P.M., Smith, C., DelPiano, C.A., Orellana, I., Gho, D., Vázquez, I. 2010. Frugivory on Persea lingue in temperate Chilean forests: interactions between fruit availability and habitat fragmentation across multiple scales. Oecologia 164: 981-991.
• Bodin, Ö., Saura, S. 2010. Ranking habitat patches as connectivity providers: integrating network analysis and patch removal experiments. Ecological Modelling 221: 2393-2405.
• Fu, W., Liu, S., DeGloria, S.D., Dong, S., Beazley, R. 2010. Characterizing the "fragmentation-barrier" effect of road networks on landscape connectivity: a case study in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China. Landscape and Urban Planning 83: 91-103.
• Vergara, P.M., Hahn, I.J., Zeballos, H., Armesto, J.J. 2010. The importance of forest patch networks for the conservation of the Thorn-tailed Rayaditos in central Chile. Ecological Research 25: 683-690.
• Visconti, P., Elkin, C. 2009. Using connectivity metrics in conservation planning - when does habitat quality matter? Diversity and Distributions 15: 602-612.
• Perotto-Baldivieso, H., Meléndez, E., García, M.A., Leimgruber, P., Cooper, S.M., Martínez, A., Calle, P., Ramos, O., Quiñones, M., Christen, C., Pons, G. 2009. Spatial distribution, connectivity, and the influence of scale: habitat availability for the endangered Mona Island rock iguana. Biodiversity and Conservation 18: 905-917.
• Neel, M.C. 2008. Patch connectivity and genetic diversity conservation in the federally endangered and narrowly endemic plant species Astragalus albens (Fabaceae). Biological Conservation 141: 938-955
• Pascual-Hortal, L., Saura, S. 2008. Integrating landscape connectivity in broad-scale forest planning through a new graph-based habitat availability methodology: application to capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) in Catalonia (NE Spain). European Journal of Forest Research 127: 23-31.
• Saura, S., Pascual-Hortal, L. 2007. A new habitat availability index to integrate connectivity in landscape conservation planning: comparison with existing indices and application to a case study. Landscape and Urban Planning 83: 91-103.

Applications published as book chapters:

• Knick, S.T., Hanser, S.E. 2010. Connecting pattern and process in Greater Sage-Grouse populations and sagebrush landscapes. In: Ecology and Conservation of Greater Sage-Grouse: a Landscape Species and Its Habitats. Studies in Avian Biology, Cooper Ornithological Society scientific series, University of California Press (in press).
• Saura, S., Pascual-Hortal, L., Brotons, L., Rubio, L. 2011. Integración de la conectividad ecológica en la gestión del hábitat del urogallo: herramienta metodológica y ejemplo de aplicación. In: Canut, J., García-Ferré, D., Afonso, I. (eds.), Manual de Conservación y Manejo del Hábitat del Urogallo Pirenaico. Dirección General de Medio Natural y Política Forestal. Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, Medio Rural y Marino. Serie manuales de gestión de especies amenazadas. Madrid (in press).
• Saura, S. 2008. Evaluating forest landscape connectivity through Conefor Sensinode 2.2 software. In: Lafortezza, R., Chen, J., Sanesi, G., Crow, T.R. (Eds.), Patterns and Processes in Forest Landscapes: Multiple Use and Sustainable Management. pp. 403-422. Springer. ISBN: 978-1-4020-8503-1.

Applications published as articles in national peer-reviewed journals:

• Saura, S., González-Ávila, S., Elena-Rosselló, R. 2011. Evaluación de los cambios en la conectividad de los bosques: el índice del área conexa equivalente y su aplicación a los bosques de Castilla y León. Montes 106: 15-21.
• Liu, C., Zhou, B., He, X., Chen, W. 2010. Selection of distance thresholds of urban forest landscape connectivity in Shenyang City. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology 21: 2508-2516.
• D'Alessandro, E., Carranza, M.L., Saura, S., Loy, A., Paura, B. 2009. Riqualificazione territoriale e areale della lontra in Italia. Estimo e Territorio 12: 23-30.
• Villavicencio, R., Saura, S., Santiago, A.L., Chávez, A. 2009. La conectividad forestal de las áreas protegidas del estado de Jalisco con otros ambientes naturales. Scientia CUCBA 110 (1-2): 43-50.
• D'Alessandro, E., Carranza, M.L., Saura, S., Loy, A. 2009. Modello di rete ecologica per la lontra in Italia. Estimo e Territorio 4: 31-38.
• Pascual-Hortal, L., Saura, S. 2008. Integración de la conectividad ecológica de los bosques en los instrumentos de planificación forestal a escala comarcal y regional: propuesta metodológica y nueva herramienta de decisión. Montes 94: 31-37.

Applications published as articles in conference proceedings:

• Decout, S., Manel, S., Miaud, C., Luque, S. 2010. Connectivity and landscape patterns in human dominated landscape: a case study with the common frog Rana temporaria. Proceedings of LandMod 2010, International Conference on Integrative Landscape Modelling, Montpelier (France), 3-5 February 2010.
• Decout, S., Manel, S., Miaud, C., Luque, S. 2010. Connectivity loss in human dominated landscape: operational tools for the identification of suitable habitat patches and corridors on amphibian's population. Proceedings of the IUFRO Landscape Ecology International Conference "Forest landscapes and global change". Bragança (Portugal), 21-27 September 2010.
• Estreguil, C.,  Caudullo, G. 2010. Harmonized measurements of spatial pattern and connectivity: application to forest habitats in the EBONE European project. Proceedings of the IUFRO Landscape Ecology International Conference "Forest landscapes and global change". Bragança (Portugal), 21-27 September 2010.
• Sacco, A., Tellini-Florenzano, G., Mairota, P. 2009. Functional connectivity for silvogenesis in Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Miller) plantations as a base towards an effective landscape biodiversity strategy in southern Apulia (Italy). In: Catchpole, R., Smithers, R., Baarda, P., Eycott, A. (Eds), Ecological Networks: Science and Practice. Proceedings of the 16th Annual IALE (UK) Conference (Edinburgh). pp. 47-55.
• Gómez-Manzanedo, M., Roig, S., Reque, J.A. 2009. Estructura forestal y conectividad del hábitat del urogallo cantábrico en su distribución oriental. Proceedings of the 5º Congreso Forestal Español. (Ávila, Spain). 8 pp.
• Fu, W., Liu S.L., Dong Y.H., Zhang, Z.L. 2009. Effect of Road Networks on Regional Landscape. In: Li, S.C., Wang Y.J., Cao F.X., Huang P., Zhang, Y. (Eds.), Progress in Environmental Science and Technology Vol II, part A. Proceedings of the 2009 International Symposium on Environmental Science and Technology (Shanghai, China). pp. 114-119.
• D'Alessandro, E., Carranza, M.L., Saura, S., Loy, A., Cianfrani, C. 2008. Analisi della connettività tra bacini idrografici: il caso della lontra (Lutra lutra) in Italia. XVII Congresso Nazionale de la Società Italiana di Ecologia (Parma, Italy).
• Scolozzi, R. 2008. Analisi della frammentazione a scala locale: stima dell'effeto barriera basata su pareri esperti. Proceedings of the X Congresso Nazionale SIEP-IALE (Bari, Italy). pp. 307-314.

Applications related to official reports on biodiversity indicators and landscape change by the European Environmental Agency:

• European Environmental Agency. 2009. Progress towards the European 2010 biodiversity target - indicator factsheets (compendium to EEA report 4/2009). European Environmental Agency technical report 5/2009. ISSN 1725-2237. The CS application is reported in page 41 of this report. Additional maps and details resulting from this connectivity assessment can be viewed at the European Forest Data Centre Map Viewer of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (go to Forest pattern query -> Changes in time -> Change of forest connectivity). The methodological background is described in Saura et al. (2010, Ecological Indicators).
• European Environmental Agency. 2010. Fragmentation of natural and semi-natural areas (SEBI 013) - Assessment published May 2010. Available at http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/fragmentation-of-natural-and-semi/fragmentation-of-natural-and-semi/view. The CS application is reported in Figure 4 of this assessment.