Giandaniele Castangia
Analysis of the connectivity of Quercus suber habitats in Sardinia
Abstract Habitat fragmentation is a serious threat to biodiversity and is increasing exponentially worldwide, interacting with other anthropogenic disturbances and contributing to irreversible effects on ecosystems. A landscape connectivity analysis was carried out on
Quercus suber populations in Sardinia (Italy) to assess the risk of habitat fragmentation for each area and each island municipality. The
ArcGIS and
CONEFOR software were combined to process the available geographical data on the subject and calculate the values of two probabilistic indices,
dPCflux and
dPCconnector. These values were analysed, and maps were produced showing the most critical situations in each municipality on the island. The study showed that most of the threatened areas of
Quercus suber forest were in the northern half of the island. In these areas, where
Quercus suber is an important economic resource, better planning would help to drastically reduce the problem within a few years, for example, by encouraging local farmers to plant new
Quercus suber in specific corridors now occupied by open pastures.
Doi https://doi.org/10.35513/Botlit.2025.1.1 Keywords conservation, endangered habitats, habitat connectivity, habitat fragmentation
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