Does Scale or Method Matter for Conservation? Application of Directional and Omnidirectional Connectivity Models in Spatial Prioritizations

We modeled the connectivity of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) and black bear (Ursus americanus) three species with varying ecological requirements, through the Congaree Biosphere Region, South Carolina, USA. We modeled habitat suitability for each species using boosted regression trees and converted these results into resistance layers for the connectivity analyses. We compared models for each species at multistate regional and local extents using directional and omnidirectional circuit theory approaches. We then used the results from each modelling combination as conservation goals for three different SCPs to determine how connectivity modelling decisions may influence geographic conservation decisions.