Evaluation of national scale, long-distance connectivity (and its protection) in England’s priority habitat inventory - 2015 dataset
Travers, T.J.P., Alison, J., Taylor, S.D., Crick, H.Q.P., Hodgson, J.A. (2021). Evaluation of national scale, long-distance connectivity (and its protection) in England’s priority habitat inventory - 2015 dataset. NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/a715112e-08ae-4d6e-943a-77933fd5ddd1
The results of an analysis of the connectivity of sixteen priority habitat networks in England using the Condatis methodology. The dataset includes conductance scores for each of the priority habitat networks (an overall assessment of how connected the habitat network is), the flow scores for each contiguous habitat patch within each of the habitat networks (the importance of that patch to connectivity), as well as details of protection. Additionally, the dataset includes data and scripts needed to run a demonstration Condatis analysis, and produced the figures used in Travers et al., 2021 (in prep.). Dispersal distances of 2, 4 and 8 km were used as inputs into Condatis. The outputs of connectivity assessments using those dispersal figures were geometrically averaged to provide results summing up the connectedness of a habitat network over a range of dispersal abilities. To determine how much connectivity (flow), and which patches were protected in each habitat network they were overlaid with SSSI and NNR spatial data. If more than 50% of a patch’s area was covered by a protected area it was determined to be protected.
The priority habitat inventory, SSSI and NNR data were downloaded from the Natural England geoportal. Connectivity analysis was conducted with the Condatis method, using dispersal distances of 2, 4 and 8km, the outputs of which were then geometrically averaged. Habitat patches were deemed to be protected if >50% of their area was covered by a SSSI or NNR. Results determined to have arisen due to arithmetic underflow were removed from the analysis prior to summary steps.
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NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre