Functional Habitat Connectivity Analysis for the Township of Langley, British Columbia

In response to the growing concern of loss of biodiversity due to global urbanization, much research has investigated its influence on habitat connectivity, yet little is known about the functional habitat connectivity of the Coastal Douglas-fir (CDF) and the Western Hemlock (CWH) BEC Zone in urban areas. This study aimed to assess the functional habitat connectivity of the Township of Langley in British Columbia, Canada, to facilitate urban planning and urban biodiversity conservation. Using lidar-derived and land cover data, quantified habitat connectivity was quantified with the probability of connectivity index (PC) for three species (the western red-backed salamander, the American red squirrel, and the brown creeper) with different habitat requirements and mobility. Suitable habitat patches were filtered and selected based on the habitat requirements of each species, and habitat networks were generated considering dispersal distance to model the connectivity index in the Conefor software. Key patches, hub patches, and key-hub patches were identified based on the patch importance level generated from Conefor. The study found a large variance in PC and distribution of important patches among species in the landscape. The major connectivity corridor, identified according to the distribution of key-hub patches for all species, showed some important areas for overall connectivity improvement. Despite limitations on timeliness, computational power and consideration of dispersal barriers, this study enhances understanding of local-scale connectivity and offers guidance for urban planners and developers seeking to incorporate biodiversity conservation in decision-making. Identification of key patches, hub patches, and key-hub patches also highlights potential areas for habitat preservation, which is particularly relevant for urban green infrastructure design that supports both human well-being and biodiversity conservation.

针对全球城市化引发的生物多样性丧失这一日益严峻的问题，已有大量研究探讨了其对生境连通性的影响，但针对城市区域内海岸花旗松（Coastal Douglas-fir, CDF）与西部铁杉（Western Hemlock, CWH）生物气候生态分类区（Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification Zone, BEC Zone）的功能性生境连通性，目前仍所知甚少。本研究以加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚省兰利镇为研究对象，旨在评估其功能性生境连通性，以期为城市规划与城市生物多样性保护提供支撑。研究基于激光雷达（Light Detection and Ranging, LiDAR）衍生数据与土地覆盖数据，针对生境需求与移动能力各不相同的3个物种——西部红背蝾螈、美洲红松鼠与棕旋木雀，采用连通性概率指数（Probability of Connectivity, PC）量化生境连通性。研究人员依据各物种的生境需求筛选适宜生境斑块，并结合扩散距离生成生境网络，随后在Conefor软件中对连通性指数进行建模。基于Conefor生成的斑块重要性等级，研究识别出关键斑块、核心斑块以及关键-核心斑块。研究发现，景观中不同物种的连通性概率指数（PC）与重要斑块分布均存在较大差异。基于所有物种的关键-核心斑块分布识别出的主要连通廊道，为整体连通性提升指明了若干关键区域。尽管本研究在时效性、计算算力以及扩散障碍考量方面存在一定局限，但仍深化了对局域尺度生境连通性的认知，并为旨在将生物多样性保护纳入决策流程的城市规划者与开发者提供了指导。关键斑块、核心斑块以及关键-核心斑块的识别，同时也为生境保护划定了潜在优先区域，这对于兼顾人类福祉与生物多样性保护的城市绿色基础设施设计而言尤为重要。