NCI 2024
    Groups
    Mammals Birds Amphibians Reptiles Myxini – Hagfishes Petromyz' – Lampreys Sharks & rays Animals Holocep' – Chimaeras Ray-finned fishes Dipneusti – Lungfish Gastropoda – Snails & slugs Coelac' – Coelacanths Insecta – Insects / bugs Arachnida – Spiders & scorpions Malacostraca – Malacostracans Diplopoda – Millipedes Bivalvia – Marine molluscs Cephalopoda – Squids & octopuses Chilopoda – Centipedes Pycnogonida – Sea spiders Merostomata – Horseshoe crabs More Classes
    Filters

    Regions

    See AllSelect

    Habitat

    See AllSelect

    Connectedness of Terrestrial Protected Areas

    Fragmentation, often referred to in conservation biology as connectedness, describes the degree to which habitats within landscapes are physically and ecologically linked. This concept is crucial in understanding how human activities, such as urban development, agriculture, and road construction, divide previously continuous natural habitats into smaller, isolated patches. These disruptions can severely impact wildlife by limiting movement, reducing genetic exchange, and constraining access to resources, leading to decreased biodiversity and increased species vulnerability.

    To mitigate the effects of fragmentation, conservation strategies often focus on improving habitat connectedness. This involves creating corridors and linkages that allow animals to move between isolated patches, promoting genetic diversity and enhancing the resilience of ecosystems. Such efforts are supported by landscape planning that prioritizes ecological networks and integrates connectivity into regional and national land-use decisions. Ensuring connectedness not only supports wildlife migration and adaptation but also enhances ecosystem functions that benefit the broader environment and human communities.

    The higher the score, the better the country ranks for this parameter.

    The table is sorted from the highest score to the lowest:

    Rank Country Score Change
    1
    Denmark    		 95 N/A
    2
    Marshall Islands    		 88 N/A
    3
    Niger    		 86 N/A
    4
    Brazil    		 83 N/A
    5
    Venezuela    		 81 N/A
    6
    Botswana    		 80 N/A
    6
    Namibia    		 80 N/A
    8
    Chad    		 79 N/A
    8
    Chile    		 79 N/A
    10
    Congo    		 77 N/A
    11
    Bolivia    		 76 N/A
    11
    Tanzania    		 76 N/A
    13
    Algeria    		 74 N/A
    13
    Paraguay    		 74 N/A
    15
    Central Af. Rep.    		 73 N/A
    15
    Kyrgyztan    		 73 N/A
    15
    Morocco    		 73 N/A
    15
    Norway    		 73 N/A
    19
    Egypt    		 73 N/A
    19
    Zambia    		 73 N/A
    21
    Angola    		 72 N/A
    21
    DR Congo    		 72 N/A
    21
    Guinea    		 72 N/A
    24
    Peru    		 71 N/A
    25
    Mozambique    		 71 N/A
    26
    Ethiopia    		 70 N/A
    26
    Nicaragua    		 70 N/A
    28
    Australia    		 70 N/A
    29
    Cambodia    		 69 N/A
    29
    Iceland    		 69 N/A
    29
    Russia    		 69 N/A
    29
    Zimbabwe    		 69 N/A
    33
    Benin    		 68 N/A
    33
    Canada    		 68 N/A
    33
    Cyprus    		 68 N/A
    33
    Guatemala    		 68 N/A
    33
    Saudi Arabia    		 68 N/A
    33
    Sudan    		 68 N/A
    33
    Tajikistan    		 68 N/A
    40
    Gabon    		 67 N/A
    40
    Kazakhstan    		 67 N/A
    42
    Afghanistan    		 66 N/A
    42
    Guyana    		 66 N/A
    42
    Kenya    		 66 N/A
    42
    Lesotho    		 66 N/A
    42
    Mali    		 66 N/A
    42
    Panama    		 66 N/A
    48
    Ecuador    		 65 N/A
    48
    Mongolia    		 65 N/A
    50
    Argentina    		 64 N/A
    50
    Burkina Faso    		 64 N/A
    50
    Colombia    		 64 N/A
    50
    Costa Rica    		 64 N/A
    50
    Philippines    		 64 N/A
    50
    South Africa    		 64 N/A
    56
    Mauritania    		 63 N/A
    56
    Nepal    		 63 N/A
    58
    United States    		 63 N/A
    59
    Estonia    		 62 N/A
    59
    Honduras    		 62 N/A
    59
    Papua New Guinea    		 62 N/A
    62
    Belize    		 61 N/A
    62
    Bhutan    		 61 N/A
    62
    Mexico    		 61 N/A
    62
    Oman    		 61 N/A
    62
    Suriname    		 61 N/A
    67
    Iran    		 60 N/A
    67
    Pakistan    		 60 N/A
    67
    Togo    		 60 N/A
    67
    United Arab Emirates    		 60 N/A
    67
    Uzbekistan    		 60 N/A
    72
    China    		 60 N/A
    73
    Eritrea    		 59 N/A
    73
    Malawi    		 59 N/A
    73
    Myanmar    		 59 N/A
    73
    Solomon Islands    		 59 N/A
    73
    Uruguay    		 59 N/A
    78
    Cameroon    		 58 N/A
    78
    Comoros    		 58 N/A
    78
    Ivory Coast    		 58 N/A
    78
    Senegal    		 58 N/A
    82
    Indonesia    		 57 N/A
    82
    Laos    		 57 N/A
    82
    Latvia    		 57 N/A
    82
    Madagascar    		 57 N/A
    86
    New Zealand    		 57 N/A
    87
    France    		 57 N/A
    88
    Dominican Republic    		 55 N/A
    88
    Qatar    		 55 N/A
    88
    Sao Tome and Principe    		 55 N/A
    88
    Turkmenistan    		 55 N/A
    92
    Taiwan    		 54 N/A
    93
    Nigeria    		 53 N/A
    93
    Thailand    		 53 N/A
    95
    India    		 52 N/A
    95
    Italy    		 52 N/A
    95
    Montenegro    		 52 N/A
    95
    Poland    		 52 N/A
    95
    Slovakia    		 52 N/A
    95
    Vietnam    		 52 N/A
    101
    Brunei    		 51 N/A
    101
    Greece    		 51 N/A
    101
    Liberia    		 51 N/A
    104
    Bulgaria    		 50 N/A
    104
    Croatia    		 50 N/A
    104
    Haiti    		 50 N/A
    104
    North Macedonia    		 50 N/A
    104
    Spain    		 50 N/A
    104
    Sri Lanka    		 50 N/A
    110
    Equatorial Guinea    		 49 N/A
    110
    Tunisia    		 49 N/A
    112
    Iraq    		 48 N/A
    112
    Portugal    		 48 N/A
    114
    Slovenia    		 48 N/A
    115
    United Kingdom    		 47 N/A
    116
    Armenia    		 47 N/A
    116
    Malaysia    		 47 N/A
    116
    Sierra Leone    		 47 N/A
    116
    Tonga    		 47 N/A
    120
    Austria    		 46 N/A
    120
    Czech republic    		 46 N/A
    120
    Guinea-Bissau    		 46 N/A
    120
    Rwanda    		 46 N/A
    120
    Saint Lucia    		 46 N/A
    125
    Albania    		 45 N/A
    125
    Ghana    		 45 N/A
    125
    Kuwait    		 45 N/A
    125
    Romania    		 45 N/A
    125
    Trinidad and Tobago    		 45 N/A
    125
    Uganda    		 45 N/A
    131
    Belarus    		 44 N/A
    131
    Cuba    		 44 N/A
    133
    Jordan    		 44 N/A
    134
    Sweden    		 43 N/A
    135
    Finland    		 43 N/A
    136
    Georgia    		 42 N/A
    137
    East Timor    		 41 N/A
    137
    Germany    		 41 N/A
    137
    Luxembourg    		 41 N/A
    137
    Serbia    		 41 N/A
    141
    Azerbaijan    		 40 N/A
    141
    Burundi    		 40 N/A
    143
    El Salvador    		 39 N/A
    144
    Dominica    		 38 N/A
    145
    Eswatini    		 37 N/A
    145
    Japan    		 37 N/A
    145
    Seychelles    		 37 N/A
    148
    Moldova    		 35 N/A
    149
    Israel    		 34 N/A
    150
    Bosnia and Herz.    		 34 N/A
    150
    Cabo Verde    		 34 N/A
    150
    Hungary    		 34 N/A
    150
    Jamaica    		 34 N/A
    154
    Ukraine    		 33 N/A
    155 .

    Djibouti    		 32 N/A
    155
    Vanuatu    		 32 N/A
    157
    Antigua and Barbuda    		 31 N/A
    157
    Gambia    		 31 N/A
    157
    Lithuania    		 31 N/A
    157
    Turkey    		 31 N/A
    161
    Micronesia    		 29 N/A
    161
    South Korea    		 29 N/A
    163
    Fiji    		 28 N/A
    164
    Switzerland    		 26 N/A
    165
    Ireland    		 25 N/A
    165
    St. Vincent and the Grenadines    		 25 N/A
    167
    Bahamas    		 23 N/A
    167
    Samoa    		 23 N/A
    169
    Grenada    		 22 N/A
    170
    Netherlands    		 21 N/A
    171
    Lebanon    		 21 N/A
    171
    Mauritius    		 21 N/A
    173
    Belgium    		 20 N/A
    173
    Singapore    		 20 N/A
    175
    Malta    		 18 N/A
    176
    Bahrain    		 17 N/A
    177
    Barbados    		 10 N/A
    178
    Bangladesh    		 10 N/A

    Source and Calculation

    Connectedness scores are sourced from the latest version of the CSIRO Protected Area Representativeness and Connectedness (PARC) indices. Country-specific scores are calculated as means across each country’s terrestrial and freshwater habitats, using the methodology included in the dataset. A maximum score is awarded to a country that has achieved a score of 1.0, meaning its protected areas are fully connected. *Different sources offer varying data, as datasets may be subject to changes due to recent updates and revisions.