Identifying the environmental drivers of corridors and predicting connectivity between seasonal ranges in multiple populations of Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) as tools for conserving migration

Aim: Seasonal migrations, such as those of ungulates, are particularly threatened by habitat transformations and fragmentation, climate and other environmental changes caused by anthropogenic activities. Mountain ungulate migrations are neglected because they are relatively short, although traversing heterogeneous altitudinal gradients particularly exposed to anthropogenic threats. Detecting migration routes of these species and understanding their drivers are therefore of primary importance to predict connectivity and preserve ecosystem functions and services. The populations of Alpine ibex Capra ibex have all been reintroduced from the last remnant source population. Despite a general increase in abundance and overall distribution range, ibex populations are mostly disconnected but display intra-population migrations. Therefore, its conservation is strictly linked to the interplay between external threats and related behavioural responses, including space use and migration. Location:...