Connectivity assessment of changes in wetland ecosystems from 1946 to 2003 in the Resort Municipality of Whistler, British Columbia

Wetlands throughout the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) are becoming smaller and more fragmented due to development and introduction of linear features: roads and railways. Landscape changes may result in negative consequences for wetland ecosystems, including reducing genetic diversity and decreasing species populations. Using aerial photographs, 1946-2003, this study focused on spatial and temporal changes in extent, patch size, and connectivity to wetland ecosystems. Connectivity was assessed with commonly used geometric measures (area, shape index, total edges) together with a functional, graph-based metric (correlation length). Both geometric and functional measures of connectivity gave similar results; however. functional measures provided insight into the effect of changes to the matrix between the wetlands not shown with solely geometric measures. Overall. total area of wetlands and connectivity throughout the RMOW decreased significantly. Although wetland habitat patches and landscape matrix contributed to decreased connectivity. changes to wetland patches themselves had a stronger effect.