Hi Joe - I appreciate the problem you present. There are a number of approaches available to consider. In some ways what you present is a unique case of conservation planning, in that you have specific systems you are interested in as well as restoration as a specified goal. But in the general case, numerous methods are out there to spatially prioritize areas for different conservation and management actions. If you are relatively new to this, I might suggest contacting your local LCC (Landscape Conservation Cooperative) and see what they might offer. I know the SALCC has a conservation blueprint process underway and it includes connectivity. Their products might help. They only cover part of the panhandle, the neighboring LCC is Gulf Coastal Plain and Ozarks. SE Climate Science Center has done some connectivity modeling for target species that might be adapted to your part of the region. But if you already know all this and are looking for more specialized tools to help predict where restoration should occur, I would turn to groups like the Long Leaf Alliance, and maybe contact Tom Hoctor at UF. Tall Timbers might also be able to help. Finally if you need to start from scratch there are an array of spatial planning tools to consider, depending on your goals, data availability, grain size, budget, and time frame. If this is a new field to you you might want to spend some time on the websites related to connectivity and reserve network panning. These might include Marxan, Zonation, Circuitscape. 

Hello Robert! Thank you for your comments and perspectives. Yes, as part of an emerging effort we have engaged with the GCPO-LCC and with Region #4 USFWS, Ecological Services. GCPO-LCC has an open pine systems decision support tool but it is VERY course and only addresses their target system. Barry Grand (Leader, AL Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit) has developed a more specific decision support tool that is due out in May. This no doubt will be of significant use but again, it targets longleaf pine only. The SE Climate Science Center sounds like it may be a source of some use. I will explore this. The Longleaf Alliance and America's Longleaf are part of this emerging effort and are valuable assets. However, they do not address connectivity between upland and riparian ecosystems and they do not address the establishment of ecological corridors to support biological diversity as a goal. I appreciate your suggestions so much. It has been a great challenge to find a simple solution regarding the identification of restoration areas for ecological connectivity across this broad landscape. Please let me know if I can help you, and feel free to contact me if you have an epiphany.    Best Regards,  Joe

Hello Joe! I think that in addition to the fact that Robert wrote, it is important to make a map of the vegetation in the GIS project. That is, consider the indicator geobotany as a tool to predict changes in vegetation and restoration of damaged ecosystems.

All the best, Olga

You might consider these tools: Marxan (http://www.uq.edu.au/marxan/) Corridor Designer Evaluation Tools (http://www.jennessent.com/arcgis/corridor.htm), and Land Facet Corridor Analysis (http://www.jennessent.com/arcgis/land_facets.htm) to help address your questions.

Thank you Olga and Joanna! I appreciate the suggestions and tools very much. Please let me know if I can help you.    Joe

Joanna, Thank you for taking the time to provide those resources.   Joe 

http://don-steppes.niib.sfedu.ru/IUCN_CEM_work/Holarctic_Steppes/Key_Steppes_Encyclopedia/Don_basin/description.php

Thank you Olga!