ISBN: 905485992X 9789054859925

Category: Unavailable

Page count: 205

The degree of habitat connectivity can increase due to the allocation of new habitat. This may mitigate the effects of fragmentation. The third question was: how can networks of patches be optimally allocated in agricultural landscapes that both meets the requirements for population sustainability and takes into consideration the suitability of the land for competing land uses? We developed two spatial allocation models that plan new habitat considering ecological guidelines of minimum patch sizes and maximum threshold distances and the suitability of the land for competing land uses. The model MENTOR adds new patches that may act as "stepping stones" between reserve sites. The model ENLARGE enlarges existing sites. We showed that both the allocation of stepping stones and the enlargement of existing sites provide a higher percentage of occupied habitat. An interesting question for further research is under which conditions either the allocation of stepping stones or the enlargement of existing sites is preferred as strategy for conservation planning in human-dominated landscapes.