Perspectives on Applications of Geospatial Technology and Landscape Ecology for Conservation Planning in the Global South

Abstract

Rapidly changing landscapes and disturbance regimes in the Global South impact the viability of conservation planning. Although conservation planning processes benefit from reliable multi-scale and multi-temporal data on landscape changes, this is not widely understood. In this paper, the authors examine landscape change dynamics and disturbance regimes in the Global South and discuss the methodological needs of characterizing pattern-process relationships of landscape disturbance to facilitate effective conservation planning. For example, geospatial analysis of Nairobi-Namanga Road, in the Kaputei Plains of Kenya, was used to highlight impacts of road infrastructure on wooded grassland and open grasslands, on wildlife migration corridors and livelihoods. The authors discuss how integration of geospatial technologies and landscape ecology metrics could enhance conservation planning and decision-making in the Global South. The benefits of coupling the decision-making process with stakeholder engagements and nature-based solutions to ensure viable conservation of biodiversity were also discussed.