Setting restorative goals with a regional outlook: Mine-rehabilitation outcomes influence landscape connectivity

• Published in: Journal of environmental management Vol. 357; p. 120778
• Main Authors: Hernandez-Santin, Lorna, Gagen, Emma J., Erskine, Peter D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2024
• Subjects: Agricultural rehabilitation; Biodiversity; Conservation of Natural Resources; Decade for restoration; Ecosystem; Ecosystem restoration; Goals; Landscape connectivity; Multispecies approach; Restorative continuum; Treatment Outcome; Decade for restoration; Agricultural rehabilitation; Ecosystem restoration; Restorative continuum; Multispecies approach; Landscape connectivity
• ISSN: 0301-4797; 1095-8630
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120778

Mining is increasing worldwide and is typically associated with highly negative environmental impacts, such as habitat loss and fragmentation. To counteract these effects and improve restoration practices, decisions, such as setting mine rehabilitation goals, could incorporate the assessment and restoration of landscape connectivity into their regional and local-scale planning. The overarching goal of this work was to assess landscape connectivity for flora and fauna and explore mine-rehabilitation scenarios that can be used as a tool for prioritising biodiversity outcomes. Our study area comprised the Fitzroy Basin (Queensland, Australia), where the disturbance footprints from mining cover a cumulative area of 121,239 ha. We considered two scenarios: rehabilitation to agriculture and restoration to native ecosystems. To compare these scenarios, we created differential maps, which highlighted that restoring to native ecosystems represented connectivity gains over agricultural rehabilitation goals. These maps revealed three ways to prioritise rehabilitation outcomes, giving priority to mines that: 1) presented medium to high connectivity values, 2) covered a large area of influence (contributing to connectivity on a larger scale, regardless of current flow values), and 3) showed a gain of important paths/corridors. We explored four case studies and found that three benefited from restoration outcomes, while the fourth did not benefit by either scenario. Our methods can be used for decision-making in restoration ecology and conservation, including mine rehabilitation priorities and goals, as well as for evaluating connectivity gains or losses. •Restoration to native ecosystem improves landscape connectivity in most (but not all) cases.•Restoration outcomes should be prioritised for mines with areas showing medium to high connectivity gain.•Sites that have a large area of influence should also prioritise a restoration outcome.•Restoration outcomes should be prioritised for mines that gain length of relevant paths.•This research provides a simple yet effective decision-making tool to restore or protect regional connectivity.