Authors: Dutta, Trishna;De Barba, Marta;Signer, Johannes;Frank, Shane;Fedorca, Ancuta;Thuiller, Wilfried;Lucas, Pablo;Maiorano, Luigi;Pflüger, Femke;Selva, Nuria;

Connected landscapes can increase the effectiveness of protected areas by facilitating individual movement and gene-flow between populations, increasing species persistence and ecosystem resilience. Connectivity conservation needs to be species-specific. Assessing it is often based on modelling connectivity for one or few surrogate species, with the assumption that the resulting network will be effective for co-occurring species. However, the selection and effectiveness of the surrogate at representing other species is rarely evaluated.

We present a framework to select surrogates for connectivity and evaluate their effectiveness for representing other species. We simulated connectivity networks for 24 large mammals among IUCN category I-IV protected areas and Natura2000 sites in continental Europe across 13 geographical biomes and 38 ecoregions. We devised an approach to evaluate which and how many species contribute the most towards pre-identified connectivity goals.

We found multiple species were necessary to meet connectivity goals across all scales and regions. The number, identity, and attributes of connectivity surrogates are sensitive to spatial scale and human influence on the landscape. We conclude that multiple species, selected in relation to landscape characteristics, are essential to meet connectivity goals. We demonstrate a way to objectively select and assess the effectiveness of surrogates for connectivity conservation.