Mapping to inform conservation: A case study of changes in semi-natural habitats and their connectivity over 70Â years

► Mapping of habitat changes informs frameworks for creating ecological networks. ► We describe an approach for constructing comparable habitat maps 70-years apart. ► The 2500-km2 example area is Dorset (UK), a pre-dominantly rural region. ► Losses of habitat and in connectivity were drastic, mostly due to intensification. ► The five possible steps in such map based framework are described.