Supporting reintroduction planning

Aim Reintroducing carnivores is a widely used approach to restore the natural integrity of ecosystems. Species distribution models (SDMs) and connectivity analyses are valuable tools for planning reintroductions and identifying release sites but are rarely combined. We propose a new framework combining SDMs, connectivity modelling and individual-based models (IBMs) to assess the feasibility of various reintroduction scenarios. As a case study, we applied this framework to plan a potential reintroduction of the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) to the Apennines by: (i) assessing niche overlap between potential source and target populations