PARENT SESSION
Organized Oral Session 2: Measuring landscape connectivity - tool for species conservation
Organizer(s): P Kindlmann, F Burel, and J Baudry
Monday, August 8, 8:00 AM - 11:30 AM, Meeting Room 510b, Level 5, Palais des congrès de Montréal

Using simulation models to assess different connectivity metrics in heterogeneous landscapes.

Goodwin, Brett^*,1, ¹ University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA

ABSTRACT- Interest in landscape connectivity, particularly in conservation biology, has increased markedly in the last decade. Landscape connectivity quantifies the ability of an organism to move through a landscape and has obvious implications for species inhabiting fragmented, heterogeneous landscapes. However, it is not clear how to best measure landscape connectivity and a number of connectivity metrics are in use. To apply connectivity metrics judiciously, it is important to understand the influences of landscape structure and movement behavior on different connectivity metrics. I used an individual based, spatially explicit simulation model to explore how measures of connectivity respond to changes in landscape structure and movement behavior. Landscapes consisted of habitat and two matrix patch types. For both habitat and one of the matrix patch types I varied patch amount, degree of fragmentation, average patch shape and average interpatch distance. The distribution of the third matrix patch type was constrained by the first two patch types. I also varied movement behavior (propensity to move, step lengths, turning angles, edge crossing behavior) in habitat and in one of the matrix patch types. By simulating the movements of individuals through landscapes I could determine the combined effect of landscape structure and movement behavior on connectivity. Connectivity was measured as dispersal success, search time, landscape wide average habitat patch immigration rate, central habitat patch immigration rate, and landscape wide average habitat cell immigration rate. Different connectivity measures were sensitive to different aspects of landscape structure and/or movement behavior. Furthermore, relationships between the measures of connectivity were complex and dependent upon the state of the landscape. This complicates the application of connectivity measures to species conservation.

Key words: landscape connectivity, simulation model, landscape structure, movement behavior