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Abstract

Human activities have extensively modified landscapes, with agricultural expansion contributing significantly to habitat loss and fragmentation, which can threaten biodiversity and ecosystem services. Maintaining connectivity among habitat patches is critical for species persistence, especially in highly fragmented landscapes. Small habitat features can play an important role in promoting connectivity by facilitating movement between larger patches. Agriculture comprises 78% of the land surface in the southernmost region of Ontario, which also supports the highest amount of biodiversity in Canada, including many at-risk species. In this landscape context, large-scale habitat restoration may not be feasible, highlighting the importance of smaller agroecological interventions like hedgerows. Hedgerows (linear plantings along field margins) create habitat, enhance connectivity, and provide a myriad of other environmental benefits. This study evaluated the potential of hedgerow restoration to improve landscape connectivity across southern Ontario. Hedgerow restoration scenarios were simulated across the counties of southern Ontario, and connectivity was quantified for several focal species using the metapopulation capacity metric, which estimates a landscape’s ability to sustain a metapopulation. Results indicate that hedgerows generally improve connectivity; however, the magnitude of effect varies by species and landscape context. In many cases, hedgerow restoration alone was insufficient to predict metapopulation persistence. Connectivity was also influenced by the composition and configuration of habitat, with greater area and evenness associated with higher metapopulation capacity. New, simulated hedgerows contributed significantly to the connectivity of the landscape, and spatial patterns of hedgerow contributions to connectivity identified priority areas for implementation. These findings demonstrate that hedgerows are a valuable tool in the landscape but that enhancing connectivity through integrated conservation initiatives will be critical to ensure species persistence.