Landscape Genetics and Corridor Design to Improve Connectivity in Fragmented Habitats

Section: Zoology

Responsible staff: Alain Frantz

Research strategy: Understanding and Preserving Nature, Society and Natural History

Habitat fragmentation is a major threat to wildlife, disrupting gene flow and isolating populations. We apply landscape‑genetics tools to study how environmental features influence genetic connectivity in fragmented habitats. By integrating genetic data with spatial and environmental models, we identify the main barriers to movement, assess population structure and evaluate current levels of connectivity among wildlife populations.

Our methodology supports spatial planning and the strategic design of ecological corridors and wildlife passages. To ensure the reliability of results, we test and compare analytical approaches using simulated genetic data under different landscape scenarios.

The results highlight priority areas for conservation action, including optimal sites for wildlife crossings and habitat restoration aimed at improving landscape permeability. This approach is particularly relevant for Luxembourg, one of the most fragmented countries in Europe, where targeted connectivity measures are urgently needed.

Recent publications :

Schleimer, A., & Frantz, A. C. (2025). Landscape influence on pollinator population genetic connectivity. Insect Conservation and Diversity, 18(3), 285-302

Beninde, J., Wittische, J., & Frantz, A. C. (2024). Quantifying uncertainty in inferences of landscape genetic resistance due to choice of individual‐based genetic distance metric. Molecular Ecology Resources, 24(1), e13831.

Frantz, A. C., Luttringer, A., Colyn, M., Kazilas, C., & Berlioz, E. (2024). Landscape structure does not hinder the dispersal of an invasive herbivorous mammal in the New Caledonian biodiversity hotspot. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 70(1), 6.

Schleimer, A., Cantú‐Salazar, L., Luttringer, A., & Frantz, A. C. (2024). Spatial prioritisation for crested newt conservation in Luxembourg: Insights from population genetics and species distribution modelling. Ecological Solutions and Evidence, 5(1), e12310.

Schleimer, A., Wittische, J., Luttringer, A., Rupprecht, C., Andrási, B., Ariey, H., ... & Frantz, A. C. (2024). Genetic connectivity is maintained in two insect pollinators across a human‐altered landscape. Insect Conservation and Diversity, 17(4), 601-615.

Wittische, J., Lippert, S., Luttringer, A., Ariey, H., Cruz, A., Andrasi, B., ... & Frantz, A. C. (2024). High genetic connectivity of two pollinating flies despite urban disturbance. Ecosphere, 15(4), e4784.

Schleimer, A., Luttringer, A., Wittische, J., Drygala, F., Proess, R., Cantú-Salazar, L., & Frantz, A. C. (2023). Robustness of resistance surface optimisations: sampling schemes and genetic distance metrics affect inferences in landscape genetics. Landscape Ecology, 38(11), 2861-2883.

Kimmig, S. E., Beninde, J., Brandt, M., Schleimer, A., Kramer‐Schadt, S., Hofer, H., ... & Frantz, A. C. (2020). Beyond the landscape: Resistance modelling infers physical and behavioural gene flow barriers to a mobile carnivore across a metropolitan area. Molecular Ecology, 29(3), 466-484.