Makurhini: An R package for comprehensive analysis of landscape fragmentation and connectivity

Abstract Habitat loss, fragmentation, and climate change threaten biodiversity, emphasizing the need to maintain landscape connectivity for species movement and access to resources. Limited conservation funds and land-use conflicts make prioritizing efficient connectivity measures essential. To address this, we developed the Makurhini R package, an open-source tool for systematically calculating key fragmentation and connectivity metrics. Makurhini provides powerful, integrated analyses and efficiently processes large datasets with parallel processing, accommodating diverse species and landscape contexts. Key features include computing fragmentation metrics, characterizing links using Euclidean, least-cost, and circuit theory approaches, evaluating connectivity with indices such as Probability of Connectivity (PC) and Equivalent Connected Area, and ranking patches and links by their contribution to connectivity. Case studies in Mexico, Colombia, and Spain demonstrate its applicability. Makurhini offers a robust, data-driven framework to support the conservation and restoration of connectivity in fragmented landscapes.