LB 6-49 - Identification of landscape connectivity according to land use change using Omniscape algorithm

Background/Question/Methods:

The increasing of landscape connectivity is an important factor for promoting biodiversity. As human social activity increases, biodiversity is threatened, and development activities that impede the movement of animal species are occurring intensively. This study was conducted to find out how land-use changes had an effect on biodiversity and landscape connectivity. The study site examined the changes in habitat quality and landscape connectivity from 1998 to 2019 Jeju Island, South Korea. Jeju Island has undergone a rapid change in land use since the late 1990s, and in particular, agricultural land and urban area have increased rapidly. In order to achieve the research goal, InVEST habitat quality model, which can know biodiversity indicators, was used, and landscape connectivity practiced an Omniscape algorithm based on circuit theory. The habitat quality has a value between 0 and 1, and the higher the habitat value, the more animal species move, and where the habitat value is low, the more difficult it is to move animal species.

Results/Conclusions:

As a result of the analysis, the area of agricultural land was 378.59 km² in 1998, but increased more than double to 810.12 km² in 2009. This occupies about 43.93% of the total area of the research site. In 1998, channeled was 1.93% of the total area, but in 2019, it increased to 3.19%, and intensified decreased from 60.8% to 46.93%. This means that pinch-point can occur as animal species gradually become difficult to move and flock to channeled. In terms of geographical area, the intensified class decreased from 57.85% in 1998 to 29.7% in 2009 in the coast area, and the diffuse class increased from 23% in 1998 to 57.28% in 2009. In particular, in the late 1990s, the movement of species was carried out throughout the study area including the coast area, but in the 2000s, it was found that the movement of animal species was mainly in the mid-mountain and mountain areas. This study found that the rapid change in land use had a dynamic effect on the change in connectivity. Using the results of this study, it will be implemented management measures for priority protected areas using spatial connectivity analysis results.