3.3 Change of key barriers
The Barrier Mapper analysis identified four key barrier areas (A, B, C and D) for restoring connectivity for North China leopard across the landscape (Fig. 4). As a result of land use changes, the migration path across the barrier area A in 1990 was not detected in 2020. Within the barrier area B and D, the important barriers to migration corridors identified by Barrier Mapper indicated a further increasing trend. Within the barrier area C, barriers to migration corridors tended to slow down. In contrast, in the area E, new connectivity corridors appeared, which were more conducive to improve the connectivity between core areas and promote species migration.