Abstract:
Managing multiple parks, reserves, and conservation areas collectively as conservation
networks is a recent, yet growing trend. But in order for these networks to be ecologically
viable, the functional connectivity of the landscape must be ensured. We assessed the
connectivity between six African savanna elephant populations in southern Africa to test
whether existing conservation networks were functioning and to identify other areas that could
benefit from being managed as conservation networks. We used resource selection function
models to create an index of habitat selection by males and female elephants. We employed
this habitat use index as a resistance surface, and applied circuit theory to assess connectivity
between adjacent elephant populations within six clusters of protected areas across southern
Africa. Circuit theory current flow maps predicted a high likelihood of connectivity in the
central portion of our study area (i.e. between the Chobe, Kafue, Luangwa, and Zambezi
cluster). Main factors limiting connectivity across the study area were high human density in
the east and a lack of surface water in the west. These factors effectively isolate elephants in
the Etosha cluster in Namibia and Niassa clusters in Mozambique from the central region. Our
models further identified two clusters where elephants might benefit from being managed as
part of a conservation network, 1) northern Zambia and Malawi and 2) northern Mozambique.
We conclude that using habitat selection and circuit theory models to identify conservation
networks is a data-based method that can be applied to other focal species to identify and
conserve functional connectivity.
