摘要：SummaryMaintaining connectivity between high-elevation public lands is important for wolverines and other species of conservation concern. This work represents the first effort to prioritize wolverine connectivity under future climate conditions using a systematic conservation planning framework. We optimized 10, 15, 20, and 50% of habitat features for wolverines using integer linear programming. We identified 369 privately owned areas in the 10% solution, 572 in the 15% solution, 822 in the 20% solution, and 3,996 in the 50% solution where voluntary landowner easements would improve the long-term landscape functionality for wolverine connectivity. The median estimated easements ranged from $8,762 to $12,220 across the four solutions (total costs $14,874,371 to $196,346,714). Overall, this effort demonstrates the utility of optimization problems for conserving connectivity, provides a proactive tool to engage potential collaborators, identifies easements that will likely protect various subalpine species, and offers a framework for the conservation of additional species.Graphical abstractDisplay OmittedHighlights•Voluntary landowner easements would improve long-term wolverine connectivity•Total costs ranged from $14,874,371 to $196,346,714•Total number of private areas ranged from 369 to 3,996 across four solutions•Connectivity is essential for wolverine persistence, recovery, and reestablishmentEarth sciences; Ecology; Environmental science; Nature conservation
