Data from: Designing networks of freshwater and marine conservation areas accounting for cross-realm connectivity and threat propagation
Data files
Mar 05, 2026 version files 1.80 MB
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Marxan_input_files.zip
1.80 MB
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README.md
4.35 KB
Abstract
Integrating connectivity into systematic conservation planning is crucial to capture ecological processes and ensure long-term conservation of biodiversity. Although advances have been made in structural and functional connectivity, most studies focus on single-realm or single-species approaches. This study applied the Marxan spatial prioritization tool to identify conservation priorities in the freshwater and marine realms under four scenarios, each applying different approaches to connectivity and threat propagation. Despite differences between scenarios, all met conservation objectives, and the planning units consistently selected between scenarios covered approximately 19% of the freshwater realm and 12% of the marine realm, highlighting priority conservation areas aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework for 2030. The most effective approach integrated connectivity within- and cross-realm connectivity while taking into account propagated threats. When considering how threats from terrestrial upstream areas spread into connected freshwater and marine ecosystems, conservation areas were strategically placed in less threatened regions. This resulted in a more effective spatial configuration of the reserve system. This study highlights the importance of integrating cross-realm connectivity and threat propagation when designing new or expanding existing networks of conservation areas, such as the Natura 2000 European network of protected areas. These findings emphasize the need for multirealm planning that supports species persistence, protect transitional habitats, and accounts for cross-realm threats.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.x69p8czzt
Description of the data and file structure
This dataset contains the input files used in the Marxan software (Ball et al., 2009), a decision-support tool for identifying priority conservation areas. The uploaded files define four conservation planning scenarios that differ in their approaches to connectivity: Scenario 1, no connectivity; Scenario 2, connectivity between each planning unit (PU) and its spatial neighbours; Scenario 3, within-realm connectivity, considering ecological and spatial connections through river systems in the freshwater realm and dispersal influenced by distance and marine currents in the marine realm; and Scenario 4, combined within- and cross-realm connectivity, incorporating connections from river mouths to the marine realm. Using this dataset, we identified priority conservation areas for species and habitats across two realms (freshwater and marine) of the Aegean Sea under these four scenarios to evaluate how different types of connectivity and threat propagation influence spatial prioritization.
Folders
Folder: Marxan_input_files.zip
Description: Folders representing scenarios conducted within the study: (1) no connectivity incorporated; (2) spatial neighbor connectivity incorporated; (3) complex ecological connectivity implemented within each realm; and (4) connectivity implemented both within and across realms.
Folder: Scenario1_NoConnectivity
Description: Two folders for each realm: FreshwaterRealm and MarineRealm.
Folder: Scenario2_SpatialNeighbours
Description: Two folders for each realm: FreshwaterRealm and MarineRealm.
Folder: Scenario3_WithinConnectivity
Description: Two folders for each realm: FreshwaterRealm and MarineRealm.
Folder: Scenario4_Across&WithinConnectivity
Description: Input files used in the Marxan software, with freshwater and marine realms incorporated together.
Input Files and Variables:
File: boundary.csv
Description: contains information about the connectivity values shared between planning units, which are the spatial units available for selection.
Variables:
- id1: The id of a planning unit (PU).
- id2: The id of a PU connected to id1.
- boundary: Relative measure of how important it is to include one planning unit in the reserve system, given the inclusion of the other.
File: pu.csv
Description: Contains information about the planning units themselves, such as id number, cost, location, and status.
Variables:
- id: A unique numerical identifier for each PU.
- cost: Defines the cost of including each PU in the reserve system.
- status: Defines whether a PU is locked in (i.e., included) or out (i.e., excluded) of the initial and final reserve systems.
File: puvsp.csv
Description: Contains information on the distribution of conservation features in each of the planning units. Same variables as the File puvsp_sporder.csv.
File: puvsp_sporder.csv
Description: contains the same information as the puvspr.dat, but is organized by species IDs rather than planning unit IDs.
Variables:
- species: The unique id number of each conservation feature.
- pu: The id of a PU where the conservation feature listed on the same row occurs.
- amount: The amount of the conservation feature occurring in the PU listed on the same row.
File: spec.csv
Description: contains information about each of the conservation features being considered, such as their name, targets, and representation requirements, and the penalty that should be applied if these representation requirements are not met.
Variables:
- id: A unique numerical identifier for each conservation feature.
- prop: The proportion of the total amount of the feature that must be included in the solution.
- targetocc: Minimum number of occurrences of a conservation feature required in a reserve system.
- spf: The feature penalty factor (former species penalty factor).
- name: Name of each conservation feature.
Code/software
Marxan software (Ball et al., 2009)