Biological Connectivity and Conservation of Singapore’s Urbanised Seascape
摘要
The integration of data on biological connectivity between different sites and habitats in spatial conservation planning (SCP) has become increasingly important as conservation moves beyond focusing on species representation. This chapter describes connectivity patterns across Singapore’s seascape inferred from multiple marine metazoans, ranging from corals to fishes, with comparisons to studies of similar species in the region. Hydrodynamic patterns have been found to drive genetic connectivity patterns in Singapore to a degree, with the strength of this influence associated with life history traits such as having a planktonic life stage. Migration patterns are species-specific, and where they cannot be entirely explained by current hydrodynamics, they may be a result of other traits like larval behaviour or adult mobility. Future research with integrative analyses looking into the combined effects of hydrodynamics, life history, behavioural traits and other such biological factors across different life stages will provide a more holistic insight into the drivers of realised connectivity. Incorporating genetic connectivity in SCP reveals the importance of accounting for connectivity in conservation decisions, where an important source site with no at-risk habitats would have been overlooked when preserving lower proportions of habitat area. With gene flow occurring over evolutionary time, the integration of genetic connectivity into conservation planning and management, such as in SCP or in strategies such as resilience enhancement projects, can enhance conservation effectiveness for the long term.