Rapid Appraisal of Wildlife Corridor Viability with Geospatial Modelling and Field Data: Lessons from Makuyuni, Tanzania

Emmanuel H. Lyimo, Gabriel Mayengo, Kwaslema M. Hariohay, Joseph Holler, Alex Kisingo, David J. Castico, Niwaeli E. Kimambo (), Justin Lucas, Emanuel H. Martin and Damian Nguma
Additional contact information
Emmanuel H. Lyimo: College of African Wildlife Management, Mweka, Moshi P.O. Box 3031, Tanzania
Gabriel Mayengo: College of African Wildlife Management, Mweka, Moshi P.O. Box 3031, Tanzania
Kwaslema M. Hariohay: College of African Wildlife Management, Mweka, Moshi P.O. Box 3031, Tanzania
Joseph Holler: Department of Geography, Middlebury College, McCardell Bicentennial Hall, 287 Bicentennial Way, Middlebury, VT 05753, USA
Alex Kisingo: College of African Wildlife Management, Mweka, Moshi P.O. Box 3031, Tanzania
David J. Castico: Tanzania People and Wildlife, Arusha P.O. Box 11306, Tanzania
Niwaeli E. Kimambo: Department of Geography, Middlebury College, McCardell Bicentennial Hall, 287 Bicentennial Way, Middlebury, VT 05753, USA
Justin Lucas: Department of Geography, Middlebury College, McCardell Bicentennial Hall, 287 Bicentennial Way, Middlebury, VT 05753, USA
Emanuel H. Martin: College of African Wildlife Management, Mweka, Moshi P.O. Box 3031, Tanzania
Damian Nguma: Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, Arusha P.O. Box 661, Tanzania

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 10, 1-18

Abstract: Connectivity between protected areas is necessary to prevent habitat fragmentation. Biodiverse countries like Tanzania craft legislation to promote habitat connectivity via the creation of ecological corridors, but their viability for wildlife often remains unknown. We therefore develop a scalable and replicable approach to assess and monitor multispecies corridor viability using geospatial modeling and field data. We apply and test the approach in the Makuyuni study area: an unprotected ecological corridor connecting Tarangire National Park to Essmingor mountain, Makuyuni Wildlife Park and Mto Wa Mbu Game Controlled Area. We analyzed the viability of Makuyuni as an ecological corridor by creating and validating a geospatial least-cost corridor model with field observations of wildlife and livestock. We created the model from publicly available spatial datasets augmented with manual digitization of pastoral homesteads ( bomas ). The least-cost corridor model identified two likely pathways for wildlife, confirmed and validated with field observations. Locations with low least-cost values were significantly correlated with more wildlife observations (Spearman’s rho = −0.448, p = 0.002). Our findings suggest that Makuyuni is a viable ecological corridor threatened by development and land use change. Our methodology presents a replicable approach for both monitoring Makuyuni and assessing corridor viability more generally. The incorporation of manually digitized homesteads ( bomas ) and field-based livestock observations makes corridor assessment more robust by taking into account pastoral land uses that are often missing in land cover maps. Integration of geospatial analysis and field observations is key for the robust identification of corridors for habitat connectivity.

Keywords: landscape connectivity; least-cost corridor model; line transect sampling; corridor assessment; wildlife management; validation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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