Prioritizing ecological connectivity among protected areas in Colombia using a functional approach for birds

Ecological connectivity among Protected Areas (PAs) is essential to improve biodiversity con-servation and management effectiveness under global change. In Colombia, developing strategic plans and locating spatial priorities for PA connectivity is fundamental for conserving its extraordinary bird diversity in the face of multiple threats, including deforestation and climate change. Here, we develop a multispecies bird connectivity model to identify critical sites for preserving and enhancing the ecological connections among PAs in Colombia. We focused our analyses on 26 forest-dependent bird species, determining their potential suitable habitat across Colombia using species distribution models and climatic variables. Expert knowledge guided the construction of movement resistance surfaces across these distributions to describe how different land covers impede or facilitate species movement. Using these inputs, we mapped Least-Cost Corridors (LCCs) connecting national and subnational PAs meeting the area requirements for the selected species. Additionally, we used circuit and least-cost models to locate conservation priorities and restoration opportunities, estimating the potential connectivity gains through the Equivalent Connected Area (ECA) index. We aggregated individual species results to create multispecies composite maps highlighting spatial agreements for corridors, priority conservation areas, and restoration opportunities. We found 581,531 km2 belonging to corridors among PAs for all focal species. Priority sites for movement within corridors covered 212,551 km2 and were predominantly located across Andean and Amazonian forests. Restoration opportunities covered 79,203 km2 and were concentrated in agricultural lands of the Andes and Caribbean regions. Restoring these areas could increase the national forest cover by 7% and connectivity by 14%. Our results provide a national-level assessment of functional connectivity priorities to maintain and improve the interconnections among PAs in Colombia. This assessment could guide efforts related to conservation, restoration, and implementation of management tools that facilitate the movement of native species across transformed lands. These actions are crucial to meet the targets outlined in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework to achieve well-connected systems of PAs during this decade and until 2050.