Habitat re-creation strategies for promoting adaptation of species to climate change

TY - JOUR

T1 - Habitat re-creation strategies for promoting adaptation of species to climate change

AU - Hodgson, Jenny A.

AU - Thomas, Chris D.

AU - Cinderby, Steve

AU - Cambridge, Howard

AU - Evans, Paul

AU - Hill, Jane K.

PY - 2011/8

Y1 - 2011/8

N2 - Creation of new habitat could help species respond to climate change by facilitating range expansion in fragmented landscapes. However, there are currently no guidelines for deciding where new habitat should be placed to promote range changes. We developed a model to simulate the expansion of populations across a heavily fragmented landscape in the United Kingdom, and investigated the effectiveness of six habitat creation strategies for woodland, grassland, heathland, and wetland habitats. A strategy aimed at linking clusters of habitat patches was most effective for three of the four habitat types. Adding habitat evenly or randomly across the landscape, or according to stakeholder suggestions, were consistently better strategies than increasing aggregation of habitat. The results highlight that the best spatial pattern to facilitate range expansion is different from the best pattern to prevent extinction.

AB - Creation of new habitat could help species respond to climate change by facilitating range expansion in fragmented landscapes. However, there are currently no guidelines for deciding where new habitat should be placed to promote range changes. We developed a model to simulate the expansion of populations across a heavily fragmented landscape in the United Kingdom, and investigated the effectiveness of six habitat creation strategies for woodland, grassland, heathland, and wetland habitats. A strategy aimed at linking clusters of habitat patches was most effective for three of the four habitat types. Adding habitat evenly or randomly across the landscape, or according to stakeholder suggestions, were consistently better strategies than increasing aggregation of habitat. The results highlight that the best spatial pattern to facilitate range expansion is different from the best pattern to prevent extinction.

KW - Colonization

KW - habitat restoration

KW - connectivity

KW - corridor

KW - habitat network

KW - metapopulation

KW - incidence function model

KW - DISPERSAL CORRIDORS

KW - BRITISH BUTTERFLIES

KW - CAPE PROTEACEAE

KW - BREEDING BIRDS

KW - RANGE

KW - FRAGMENTATION

KW - EXTINCTION

KW - NETWORKS

KW - PERSISTENCE

KW - THRESHOLDS

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=80053178275&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/j.1755-263X.2011.00177.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1755-263X.2011.00177.x

M3 - Article

SN - 1755-263X

VL - 4

SP - 289

EP - 297

JO - Conservation Letters

JF - Conservation Letters

IS - 4

ER -