Bobcat Connectivity Modeling for the California Bay Area Linkage Network [ds857]

Critical Linkages: Bay Area and Beyond (Critical Linkages) was designed to preserve functional landscape linkages to maintain ecological and evolutionary processes among large wildlands and ensure the integrity of our existing and future conservation investments. The 14 priority linkages were designed based on 66 focal species, including 15 plants, 2 insects, 4 fish, 6 amphibians, 5 reptiles, 13 birds and 21 mammals. These focal species cover a broad range of habitat and movement requirements such that planning adequate linkages for their needs is expected to cover connectivity needs for the ecosystems they represent. The Critical Linkages Network is comprised of Linkage Designs, Large Landscape Blocks, Key Riparian Corridors, Riparian Buffer Zones and Important Baylands that together are expected to to accommodate potential live-in and move-through habitat for the focal species. The patch size analysis classified potential breeding habitat into two size classes. A potential core was defined as a continuous area of suitable habitat large enough to sustain at least 50 individuals. Potential cores are probably capable of supporting the species for several generations (although with erosion of genetic material if isolated). A breeding patch was defined as an area of suitable habitat large enough to support successful reproduction by a pair (perhaps more if home ranges overlap greatly), but smaller than a potential core area. Patches are useful to the species if the patches are linked via dispersal to other patches and core areas. The patch configuration analysis assessed if the potential cores and patches of breeding habitat are within the species dispersal distance.For more information about the creation of the data including species specific model parameters please see Chapter 5 and Appendix D in the report at http://www.scwildlands.org/reports/Default.asp