Assessment of Spatial Arrangement of Landscape Elements to Achieve Conservation Goals

The concept of landscape connectivity in a region is used to describe how the spatial arrangement and the quality of elements in the landscape affect the movement and migration of organisms among habitat patches. The main purpose of landscape connectivity survey is landscape planning and management in order to maintain biodiversity in the rare and fragmented habitats so that the stability of ecological processes is assured. In this study, we used descriptive-analytic method and literature review in connection with landscape connectivity and its importance for biodiversity conservation and the methods and tools for quantification of landscape connectivity. The data we gathered were organized into two categories of general information about landscape connectivity and methods and applied tools of landscape connectivity. Results showed that the least cost analysis was the most commonly applied method. We also showed the focus is on the functional connectivity of landscape. Our results revealed CONEFOR was the preferred tool in landscape connectivity analysis and LINKAGE MAPPER software is more applied because of using least cost analysis. Use of connectivity modeling approaches and applied tools can be different due to objectives of the studies and and the importance of habitats and species.