Research overview: least-cost paths and circuit theory in connectivity modelling

Conservation planners model wildlife corridors using methods such as least-cost path analysis and circuit theory, which translate landscapes into surfaces of movement resistance to predict where animals can travel. This overview surveys these approaches as applied to big cats. Least-cost models identify the single best route between cores, while circuit theory, borrowing from electrical-network mathematics, maps multiple possible pathways and pinch points where movement concentrates. Studies use telemetry and genetic data to calibrate resistance surfaces and validate predicted corridors. Researchers compare methods and caution that model outputs depend heavily on assumptions about how species perceive the landscape. The overview frames connectivity modelling as a central analytical toolkit for carnivore conservation, enabling planners to prioritize and defend corridors quantitatively. It matters because credible models guide where to focus limited resources for protecting or restoring the linkages that wide-ranging cats need to move and breed across fragmented landscapes.