Resumen:
Habitat loss and fragmentation are critical threats to biodiversity decline as they decrease the species occurrence
and dispersal probability between natural habitats. Thus, promoting habitat connectivity supports species
dispersal and accessibility to vital resources within the landscape, and contributes to long term population
persistence. However, decision-making in human dominated landscapes challenges the sustainability of
conservation-based land management initiatives. The Llanganates – Sangay Ecological Corridor is located on the
eastern slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes, harbouring high levels of endemism and biodiversity in a humandominated landscape between two National Parks. We applied circuit analysis to model the habitat connectivity for the Mountain Tapir. We defined the limits of the corridor based on a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis and a
spatial suitability approach combined with a sub-basin prioritization method. We found that forest and native
grasslands contribute the most to the Mountain Tapir’s dispersal movements, while roads constrain them the
most. Furthermore, natural vegetation remnants between pastures and crops support habitat connectivity as
stepping-stones. We identified threats to biodiversity and distance to conservation areas as the most crucial
features of spatial suitability. Our study combined scientific information to identify key areas for providing
habitat connectivity of a landscape species and the spatial suitability necessary for sustaining wildlife conservation, while supporting the participation of local stakeholders, conservationists, academia, and NGOs.
