Assessing the impact of planned linear infrastructure on ecological connectivity: an example from Uganda and South Sudan

In an increasingly interconnected world, where human activities and infrastructure development continue to reshape landscapes, environmental fragmentation is one of the main threats to biodiversity and ecosystems. Fragmentation and its consequences for biodiversity and ecosystems are increasingly pronounced in developing countries, where the drive for economic growth and rapid infrastructure development is often associated with devastating impacts on habitats and species. This study aims at creating a macro-regional ecological network across South Sudan and Uganda by identifying priority conservation areas and the key corridors connecting them. The macro-ecological network was then used to investigate how the construction of proposed linear infrastructure could affect ecological connectivity at a finer scale. The priority conservation areas were selected through the integration of data derived from global open-access datasets encompassing information on species ranges, protected areas, land cover, topography, human population, and the density of linear infrastructure. Circuitscape approach was used to identify corridors connecting the designated priority conservation areas. Impacts on corridors were assessed by quantifying the reduction in connectivity due to the development of proposed infrastructure. Our study can be a valuable conservation tool for planners, aiding ecological decision-making by promoting the inclusion of landscape-level connectivity alongside environmental impacts.