“Fracturing Ecological Frameworks”: Fragmentation characteristics of sandhill and scrub habitats within the Florida Wildlife Corridor versus outside, between 1995, 2004, and the present

Keywords: Habitat fragmentation, Landscape ecology, Conservation, Wildlife Corridor
Abstract Type: Poster Abstract

Abstract

The division of natural environments into disjunct patches is a phenomenon within conservation ecology that is becoming increasingly problematic. This study quantifies the habitat fragmentation characteristics of two rare landcover types in Florida, scrub and sandhill, both inside and outside the boundaries of a statewide land conservation project known as the Florida Wildlife Corridor. To do so, landcover maps created by Florida's five water management districts were acquired for 1995, 2004, and 2022. Using landscape metrics within the software Fragstats, the fragmentation of targeted land covers was quantified over time inside and outside the Florida Wildlife Corridor. My findings indicate that higher levels of fragmentation occur outside the boundaries of the land conservation project, showing that the corridor's aim is functioning. However, this also indicates that attention needs to be given to rare habitat types across the state regardless of land designation. This study offers insight into the effectiveness of state legislation aimed at acquiring land for conservation corridors and legal protection. It also offers a perspective on considering factors other than corridor potential for conservation land.