Thesis
Prioritising Rehabilitation for Ecological Connectivity: A multi-scale, multi-species framework to optimise green infrastructure planning in a global biodiversity hotspot
Masters by Research, Murdoch University
2026
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60867/00000140
Abstract
Urban biodiversity conservation depends on functional connectivity, yet most cities lack tools to translate broad connectivity principles into spatially explicit rehabilitation actions. This thesis develops a multi-scale, multi-species framework that identifies where rehabilitation will most effectively enhance connectivity in an extensively fragmented biodiversity hotspot – the Perth-Peel region of Australia’s South West.
At the regional scale, rehabilitation priorities were ranked for 1268 ecological linkages using a multi-criteria decision analysis integrating conservation values, vulnerability, connectivity, and route attributes. High-priority linkages were identified across the region, with priorities driven more by the degree of landscape modification around each linkage than the conservation values and vulnerability of protected areas. The analysis discovered abundant rehabilitation opportunities for whole-network stability in rural landscapes, while highlighting the need to act on the limited urban opportunities, heavily driven by landscape constraints. However, linkage-specific planning remains essential.
At the local scale, on-ground rehabilitation priorities were identified using Circuitscape connectivity models that included wildlife guild-specific dispersal limitations. These methods were applied to three case studies containing high-priority linkages across different development contexts. For guilds with limited dispersal abilities (<500m), the outputs identified fine-scale movement routes and areas of functional disconnection, enabling targeted rehabilitation recommendations such as stepping stone creation, improvement of matrix permeability, or enhancing movement redundancy. The approach was less informative for long-range guilds.
Together, these two studies demonstrate the value of multi-scale connectivity planning. The work delivers a set of integrated decision support tools for practitioners to target where rehabilitation is of most benefit to connectivity, relevant to planning realities in Perth-Peel and wider Australia. Designed to be repeatable in other contexts, this work addresses a critical implementation gap and offers a pathway to translate connectivity theory into targeted, on-ground action.
Details
- Title
- Prioritising Rehabilitation for Ecological Connectivity: A multi-scale, multi-species framework to optimise green infrastructure planning in a global biodiversity hotspot
- Authors/Creators
- Taylor Page
- Contributors
- Jane Chambers (Supervisor) - Environmental and Conservation Science, Murdoch UniversityMargaret E Andrew (Supervisor) - Murdoch University, School of Environmental and Conservation Sciences
- Awarding Institution
- Murdoch University; Masters by Research
- Identifiers
- 991005904176907891
- Murdoch Affiliation
- School of Environmental and Conservation Sciences
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Note
- Masters Research with Training in urban landscape ecology at Murdoch University
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