Vos C C, Verboom J, Opdam P F, Ter Braak C J
Alterra Green World Research, P.O. Box 23, NL 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Am Nat. 2001 Jan;157(1):24-41. doi: 10.1086/317004.
Nature conservation is increasingly based on a landscape approach rather than a species approach. Landscape planning that includes nature conservation goals requires integrated ecological tools. However, species differ widely in their response to landscape change. We propose a framework of ecologically scaled landscape indices that takes into account this variation. Our approach is based on a combination of field studies of spatially structured populations (metapopulations) and model simulations in artificial landscapes. From these, we seek generalities in the relationship among species features, landscape indices, and metapopulation viability. The concept of ecological species profiles is used to group species according to characteristics that are important in metapopulations' response to landscape change: individual area requirements as the dominant characteristic of extinction risk in landscape patches and dispersal distance as the main determinant of the ability to colonize patches. The ecological profiles and landscape indices are then integrated into two ecologically scaled landscape indices (ESLI): average patch carrying capacity and average patch connectivity. The field data show that the fraction of occupied habitat patches is correlated with the two ESLI. To put the ESLI into a perspective of metapopulation persistence, we determine the viability for six ecological profiles at different degrees of habitat fragmentation using a metapopulation model and computer-generated landscapes. The model results show that the fraction of occupied patches is a good indicator for metapopulation viability. We discuss how ecological profiles, ESLI, and the viability threshold can be applied for landscape planning and design in nature conservation.
自然保护越来越基于景观方法而非物种方法。包含自然保护目标的景观规划需要综合生态工具。然而，物种对景观变化的反应差异很大。我们提出了一个生态尺度景观指数框架，该框架考虑了这种差异。我们的方法基于对空间结构化种群（集合种群）的实地研究与人工景观模型模拟的结合。据此，我们探寻物种特征、景观指数和集合种群生存力之间关系的一般性规律。生态物种概况的概念用于根据对集合种群应对景观变化至关重要的特征对物种进行分类：个体面积需求作为景观斑块中灭绝风险的主要特征，扩散距离作为定殖斑块能力的主要决定因素。然后，将生态概况和景观指数整合为两个生态尺度景观指数（ESLI）：平均斑块承载能力和平均斑块连通性。实地数据表明，被占据的栖息地斑块比例与这两个ESLI相关。为了从集合种群持续性的角度看待ESLI，我们使用集合种群模型和计算机生成的景观，确定了六种生态概况在不同程度栖息地破碎化情况下的生存力。模型结果表明，被占据斑块的比例是集合种群生存力的良好指标。我们讨论了生态概况、ESLI和生存力阈值如何应用于自然保护中的景观规划和设计。
