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Circuit‐theory applications to connectivity science and conservation
Author(s) -
Dickson Brett G.,
Albano Christine M.,
Anantharaman Ranjan,
Beier Paul,
Fargione Joe,
Graves Tabitha A.,
Gray Miranda E.,
Hall Kimberly R.,
Lawler Josh J.,
Leonard Paul B.,
Littlefield Caitlin E.,
McClure Meredith L.,
Novembre John,
Schloss Carrie A.,
Schumaker Nathan H.,
Shah Viral B.,
Theobald David M.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
conservation biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.2
H-Index - 222
eISSN - 1523-1739
pISSN - 0888-8892
DOI - 10.1111/cobi.13230
Subject(s) - biological dispersal , landscape connectivity , network analysis , computer science , ecology , population , environmental resource management , geography , environmental science , sociology , engineering , biology , demography , electrical engineering
Conservation practitioners have long recognized ecological connectivity as a global priority for preserving biodiversity and ecosystem function. In the early years of conservation science, ecologists extended principles of island biogeography to assess connectivity based on source patch proximity and other metrics derived from binary maps of habitat. From 2006 to 2008, the late Brad McRae introduced circuit theory as an alternative approach to model gene flow and the dispersal or movement routes of organisms. He posited concepts and metrics from electrical circuit theory as a robust way to quantify movement across multiple possible paths in a landscape, not just a single least‐cost path or corridor. Circuit theory offers many theoretical, conceptual, and practical linkages to conservation science. We reviewed 459 recent studies citing circuit theory or the open‐source software Circuitscape. We focused on applications of circuit theory to the science and practice of connectivity conservation, including topics in landscape and population genetics, movement and dispersal paths of organisms, anthropogenic barriers to connectivity, fire behavior, water flow, and ecosystem services. Circuit theory is likely to have an effect on conservation science and practitioners through improved insights into landscape dynamics, animal movement, and habitat‐use studies and through the development of new software tools for data analysis and visualization. The influence of circuit theory on conservation comes from the theoretical basis and elegance of the approach and the powerful collaborations and active user community that have emerged. Circuit theory provides a springboard for ecological understanding and will remain an important conservation tool for researchers and practitioners around the globe.