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Characterizing range-wide impacts of anthropogenic barriers on structural landscape connectivity for the Sonoran desert tortoise (Gopherus morafkai)

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Abstract

Context

Linear anthropogenic barriers may reduce structural landscape connectivity for wildlife.

Objectives

Using graph-based connectivity indices, we modeled the potential impacts of linear barriers on structural connectivity and on individual patch importance at different biologically justified dispersal distance thresholds for the Sonoran desert tortoise, a wide-ranging species for which anthropogenic barriers may be reducing structural landscape connectivity.

Methods

To characterize the potential impacts of barriers on structural connectivity for the Sonoran desert tortoise, we compared network compartmentalization, individual habitat patch importance, and the spatial distribution of important habitat patches for models of structural connectivity reflecting the landscape prior to the development of linear barriers to models depicting current linear barriers in the landscape at different distance thresholds.

Results

Linear barriers fragmented the habitat patch network into a minimum of 239 patch components. Compartmentalization increased little as dispersal distance thresholds exceeded 10 km. In barrier simulations, patch importance mostly decreased and the spatial distribution of important patches shifted south.

Conclusion

Barriers are limiting structural connectivity for Sonoran desert tortoises and may prevent dispersal events, rescue effects in the event of localized extinctions, and successful range shift in response to climate change. Management efforts targeted at enhancing connectivity for ecological processes or movements occurring at 5–10 km may enhance the potential for longer-distance movements or generational dispersal occurring at a greater extent. Our methods provide an efficient framework for assessing changes in structural connectivity on a landscape extent that may be applied to addressing different problems or questions related to landscape connectivity.

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Data availability

All data produced as part of this study are property of the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Southwest Border Resource Protection Program. Code and example data for reproducing these analyses will be made available upon request to the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

Funding was provided by the National Park Service Southwest Border Resource Protection Program (Award Nos. P19AC00490 and P20AC00294). The United States Fish and Wildlife Service provided habitat suitability models of tortoise habitat, the Arizona Game and Fish Department provided point locations for validating our patch models, and the Wildlands Network provided geospatial data for the United States-Mexico border wall. We thank Victor Arroyo-Rodriguez and an anonymous reviewer for their constructive comments on an earlier draft.

Funding

Funding was provided by the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Southwest Border Resource Protection Program (P19AC00490 and P20AC00294).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, 2901 Main Street, Lubbock, TX, 79409-3131, USA

    Sean Sutor & Nancy E. McIntyre

  2. Department of Natural Resource Management, Texas Tech University, Goddard Building, P. O. Box 42125, Lubbock, TX, 79409-2125, USA

    Kerry Griffis-Kyle

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  1. Sean Sutor
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Contributions

S.W.S. developed the methods, performed all analyses, and drafted the manuscript. N.E.M. and K.G.K. wrote the proposals that funded the work, provided valuable input on the final methods and manuscript, financially supported the research, and edited the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Sean Sutor.

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Sutor, S., McIntyre, N.E. & Griffis-Kyle, K. Characterizing range-wide impacts of anthropogenic barriers on structural landscape connectivity for the Sonoran desert tortoise (Gopherus morafkai). Landsc Ecol 38, 1729–1746 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-023-01649-3

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