‘IUCN Guidelines for Conserving Connectivity through Ecological Networks and Corridors’

With Annika Keeley, Delta Stewardship Council and Member of the Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group

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Abstract: In June of 2020, the International Union for Conservation of Nature released the first-ever Guidelines for Conserving Connectivity Through Ecological Networks and Corridors. The main objective of these Guidelines is to provide insight into the leading tools for conserving the physical links between protected and conserved areas, and areas outside their boundaries as part of large, interconnected ecological networks. The publication introduces a common definition and recommends formal recognition of ecological corridors to serve as critical building blocks of ecological networks in conjunction with protected areas. As a co-author, I will introduce the genesis of this work, discuss the main messages, and emphasize the recommendation for formal recognition of ecological corridors to serve as critical building blocks of ecological networks in conjunction with protected areas and other conservation measures. I will also highlight some of the featured 25 case studies demonstrating current approaches to connectivity conservation for different ecosystems and species, and at different spatial and temporal scales.

Bio: Annika Keeley, PhD, is a wildlife ecologist with expertise in ecological connectivity science, and animal behavior. As a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, she systematically reviewed the literature on the intersection of connectivity and climate change science and explored the challenges and opportunities for implementing connectivity in California and around the world. Currently she is a scientist with the Delta Stewardship Council in California where she promotes science-based adaptive management

and synthesizes and communicates scientific information, including on estuarine connectivity, to managers and policy and decision makers. She is also the current chair of the Biological Diversity Working Group.