What is Ecological Connectivity?
Ecological Connectivity is defined as the unimpeded movement of species, the connection of habitats and the flow of natural processes that sustain life on earth. (CMS Res. 14.16)
Ecological connectivity is an essential part of nature, necessary for the functionality of ecosystems and key for the survival of wild animals and plant species. Ecological connectivity allows animals, plants, and natural processes to move freely across and through landscapes, river systems, and seascapes. Rapid and increasing human and infrastructure development can create barriers to species movement and cause habitat fragmentation resulting in increasingly isolated areas, which in turn, can lead to species extinction and ecosystem breakdown. The impacts of this are even further amplified as we continue to face the ever-increasing climate change crisis.
Ecological connectivity includes both structural and functional connectivity.
Structural connectivity considers the physical characteristics that support or impede a connected natural ecosystems.
Functional Connectivity considers the interconnectedness of ecological systems that enables the movement of organisms and processes such as seed dispersal, breeding migrations, and genetic exchange.