Data from: Predicting habitat suitability and connectivity for management and conservation of urban wildlife: A real-time web application for grassland water voles

Natural habitats in urban areas provide benefits for both humans and
biodiversity. However, to achieve biodiversity gains we require new
techniques to determine habitat suitability and ecological connectivity
that will inform urban planning and development. Using an example of an
urban population of water voles (Arvicola amphibius) we developed a
habitat suitability model and a resistance-surface-based model of
landscape connectivity to identify potential connectivity between areas of
suitable habitat. We then updated the environmental variables according to
new urban development plans and used our models to generate spatially
explicit predictions of both habitat suitability and connectivity. To make
models accessible to urban and conservation planners we developed an
interactive mapping tool that provided users with a graphical user
interface (GUI) to inform conservation planning for this species. The
model found that habitat suitability for water voles was related to
distance from key environmental variables, such as built-up areas and
urban green spaces, while the connectivity model identified important
corridors connecting areas of potential distribution for this species.
Future development plans altered the potential spatial distribution of the
water vole population, reducing the extent of suitable habitat in some
core areas. The interactive mapping tool made available suitable habitat
and connectivity maps for conservation managers to assess new planning
applications and for the development of a conservation action plan for
water voles. Synthesis and applications: We believe this approach provides
a framework for future development of nature conservation tools that can
be used by planners to inform ecological decision making, increase
biodiversity and reduce human-wildlife conflict in urban environments.