Towards an increasingly connected world: new methodological approaches for environmental connectivity and implications for landscape planning

Habitat connectivity is a cornerstone of conservation strategies for wide-ranging species, particularly large carnivores, whose long-term persistence depends on the ability to move across heterogeneous landscapes. This is especially true in regions like the Alps and the Balkans, core areas for the 4PETHABECO project, where natural habitats are increasingly fragmented by infrastructure and land-use changes. Maintaining or restoring functional linkages is essential to ensure demographic exchange, gene flow, and long-term access to suitable environments. Earlier connectivity studies relied on static maps or expert-based corridors, offering initial guidance but often oversimplifying the complexity and dynamism of real-world landscapes and animal movements. Today, advances in spatial ecology and statistical modelling enable more accurate assessment of functional connectivity by accounting for scale-dependent processes and behavioral flexibility, and by integrating species-specific habitat preferences, demographic data, and landscape dynamics. They also support scenario analysis to evaluate how connectivity may shift in response to urban development, landuse changes, or climate impact, and help identify critical dispersal areas under different future conditions. Multi-species models further enhance this perspective by identifying shared corridors, informing broader, transboundary strategies that maximize conservation benefits for multiple species. Integrating these advanced connectivity methods into conservation planning allows for the identification of priority areas where targeted actions, such as habitat protection, ecological restoration, or barrier mitigation, can most effectively enhance landscape permeability. Within 4PETHABECO, these methods are applied to detect transboundary dispersal corridors and bottlenecks that are critical to the connectivity of species such as wolves, brown bears, and Eurasian lynx. These carnivores rely on large, connected habitats to maintain viable populations across administrative borders. By embedding these models into spatial planning, the project contributes to the development of coherent ecological networks that support biodiversity, reduce fragmentation, and promote sustainable landscape management across the Alpine and Dinaric-Balkan regions.