Connectivity is called the ability to establish a connection : a communication, a link. According to abbreviationfinder.org, the concept usually refers to the availability of a device to be connected to another or to a network.
In the field of computing, the connectivity of a computer (computer) is given by its ability to connect to a network such as the Internet or to other equipment and peripherals. A computer can have WiFi, USB, PS / 2 and FireWire connectivity, for example: this means that the computer in question can be connected through the aforementioned technologies.
Difference between connectivity and connection
It is important to distinguish between this concept and that of connection : while connectivity remains the same throughout the life of a device until its parts are updated or improved, connections begin and end, and within the same context (making use of the same network of equipment with invariable connectivity) may have different characteristics each time.
For example, with the same mobile phone, whose connectivity is always the same, we establish many connections throughout the week and the results are usually very variable, either due to the presence of humidity in the air, due to storms or force. of the wind.
Wireless communications
The idea of wireless connectivity refers to communications that are established without cables. In this way, the emitter and the receiver are not linked through a physical medium, but instead appeal to waves that travel through space.
A cell phone (mobile), to name one case, can be connected to another using Bluetooth technology. Thus, information can be sent from one computer to another without using cables.
Landscape connectivity
One can also speak of landscape connectivity. In this case, the notion is related to the spatial arrangement and makes mention of how a landscape is structured. It is interesting to mention that the concept of ecological connectivity, on the other hand, refers to the ability of a population to establish a relationship with specimens of another population in a fragmented terrain.
It is possible to differentiate between functional landscape connectivity (focused on what influence the landscape has on the distribution of individuals) and structural landscape connectivity (how the various elements that make up the landscape are organized in space).
Benefits of this type of spatial arrangement
Regarding the benefits offered by landscape connectivity, we can say that it gives organisms the possibility of migrating from one place to another, something that favors the colonization of new parts and reduces the chances that existing populations will become extinct, thanks to which new individuals come from other territories.
Landscape connectivity also reduces the difficulty of wildlife movement throughout their biological cycles, giving them the possibility of finding new places in which to reproduce, take refuge and feed. Similarly, it reduces the isolation of different populations, which prevents inbreeding (reproduction between individuals who share the same ancestry) and genetic drift (an alteration in the frequency of alleles, with the consequent change in the genetic diversity of a population).
Another advantage that emerges from landscape connectivity is that the probability of extinction of the species involved is considerably reduced by the issues discussed above, as well as the potential sensitivity to certain diseases.
Disadvantages of landscape connectivity
Of course, landscape connectivity also has some disadvantages. In the first place, at the same time that the individuals of a community move from one place to another, they can carry certain diseases with them, and spread them in new territories.
Something similar occurs with pests and invasive species, which move indirectly and upon arrival begin their destructive action.
