Jaguar range-wide connectivity: ranked core areas, protected areas and corridors

AbstractThese vector layers (ESRI Shapefile format) represent prioritized core areas and dispersal corridors for jaguar (Panthera onca) population connectivity across the species’ current range in the Americas. The layers were derived from range-wide landscape connectivity analyses using resistance surfaces based on a multi-scale habitat suitability model developed from GPS telemetry data of 172 jaguars across eight countries (Alvarenga et al. 2026).Connectivity was assessed using two complementary approaches: cumulative resistant kernels to identify areas of high movement density, and factorial Least-Cost Paths (fLCP) to model dispersal corridors between core areas and protected areas. Core areas, protected areas, and corridors were ranked based on size, movement intensity, and their relative importance across ecoregions, providing a spatial framework to guide large-scale jaguar conservation and connectivity planning.Description of the data and file structureThis dataset includes four shapefiles representing ranked jaguar connectivity elements, evaluated at the ecoregion level:1. Suppl_Mat_CoreAreas_Ranking_EcoregionsPolygon layer identifying core areas of high predicted jaguar movement derived from cumulative resistant kernels.2. Suppl_Mat_CorridorsCoreAreas_Ranking_EcoregionsPolygon layer representing dispersal corridors connecting core areas, derived from factorial Least-Cost Path analyses.3. Suppl_Mat_PAs_Ranking_EcoregionsPolygon layer identifying protected areas (or contiguous protected-area blocks) ranked for their importance to jaguar connectivity.4. Suppl_Mat_CorridorsPAs_Ranking_EcoregionsPolygon layer representing dispersal corridors connecting protected areas.All layers were clipped to the species’ current range and ranked independently within terrestrial ecoregions to account for ecological heterogeneity across the study area.Methodological backgroundResistance surfaces were derived from a previously developed multi-scale habitat suitability model based on GPS telemetry from 172 jaguars (Alvarenga et al., 2026). Habitat suitability values were transformed into resistance to movement using a negative exponential function following Keeley et al. (2016), with parameter c = 16. Additional expert-informed adjustments were applied to account for urban areas, elevation, roads, water bodies, and riparian habitats, ensuring biologically realistic dispersal pathways.Connectivity analyses were conducted using UNICOR, applying cumulative resistant kernels to identify core movement areas and factorial Least-Cost Paths to model dispersal corridors. Core areas, protected areas, and corridors were ranked using size, movement intensity, and connectivity metrics, with rankings calculated separately for each ecoregion and then averaged across ecoregions to produce final prioritization scores.Attribute table descriptionCore areas and protected areas (Suppl_Mat_CoreAreas_Ranking_Ecoregions and Suppl_Mat_PAs_Ranking_Ecoregions)ID: unique feature identifierCountry: country where the protected area is located (protected areas only)Name: name of the protected area or block of protected areas (protected areas only)Area_km2: feature area in square kilometresKernel_sum: sum of cumulative resistant kernel values within the featureRank_area: rank based on area size (higher rank = larger area)Rank_kerne: rank based on kernel sum (higher rank = higher movement density)Rank_score: average of Rank_area and Rank_kerneRank_Ec1 – Rank_Ec14: rank position within each overlapping ecoregionRank_avg: average rank across all ecoregions overlapped by the featureRank_Final: final rank used in the manuscript; features with identical Rank_avg values share the same rank positionCorridors (Suppl_Mat_CorridorsCoreAreas_Ranking_Ecoregions and Suppl_Mat_CorridorsPAs_Ranking_Ecoregions)ID: unique feature identifierArea_km2: corridor area in square kilometresfLCP_IDs: identifiers of the narrow, pixel-wide least-cost paths composing the corridorLCP_sum: total sum of least-cost path values within the corridorAvg_Kern_C / Avg_Kern_P: mean kernel value of the connected core areas (C) or protected areas (P)Avg_Rank: average rank based on Area_km2, LCP_sum, and Avg_KernRank_Ec1 – Rank_Ec14: rank position within each overlapping ecoregionRank_avg: average rank across all ecoregions overlapped by the corridorRank_Final: final rank used in the manuscript; higher-ranked corridors represent larger, stronger, and more ecologically important connectionsNotes on interpretationThese layers represent modeled connectivity potential rather than confirmed jaguar presence or movement. High-ranked core areas and corridors indicate landscapes that are likely to facilitate movement given current environmental conditions and resistance assumptions. Predictions may extend into areas where jaguars are currently absent or locally extirpated and should not be interpreted as evidence of present-day occupancy.CitationPlease cite the accompanying manuscript when using this dataset.