Patchy reaction-diffusion and population abundance: the relative importance of habitat amount and arrangement.

Synopsis: This study aimed to independently examine the effects of varying amounts and configurations of habitat at a landscape scale, with particular attention to critical persistence thresholds. A discrete reaction-diffusion model was used to estimate long-term equilibrium population persistence of a hypothetical species in a patchy landscape. When examined over a broad range of habitat amount and arrangements, population size was largely determined by the proportion of habitat (amount) in a landscape. However, when habitat coverage dropped below 30-50%, population response deviated, coinciding with a persistence threshold. Species persistence declined rapidly at this threshold range (50% for low degrees of aggregation,...

Categories: Publication; Types: Citation; Tags: Landscape fragmentation, Natural cover amount, arrangement, configuration, dispersal, All tags... fragmentation, fragmentation, land cover thresholds, landscape ecology, landscape structure, model based, n/a, n/a, percent native, persistence threshold, population size, spatially explicit population model, species persistence, structured landscapes, Fewer tags