Site reoccupation in fragmented landscapes: testing predictions of metapopulation theory

Hames, Ralph S.; Rosenberg, Kenneth V.; Lowe, James D.; Dhondt, André A.

doi:10.1046/j.1365-2656.2001.00482.x

Cited by 49 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…It might be argued that long‐distance migratory birds are unlikely to suffer problems by dispersing to distant patches, but a similar distance‐dependent dispersal pattern has been found in other long‐distance migratory species (Doncaster et al . 1997; Oro & Pradel 1999; Hames et al . 2001).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dispersal within a spatially structured population of lesser kestrels: the role of spatial isolation and conspecific attraction

Serrano

Tella

2003

Journal of Animal Ecology

115

112

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Summary1. Factors governing dispersal rates have seldom been examined in spatially structured populations of vertebrates. We gathered information during 8 years on transfer rates between subpopulations in a spatially structured, growing population of colonial lesser kestrels Falco naumanni , and analysed the contribution of several variables related to spatial isolation and characteristics of both subpopulation of origin and destination on probabilities of dispersal. 2. Lesser kestrels were highly philopatric to their subpopulations, but first-breeders dispersed more often than adults (26% vs. 4%, n = 1706) because adults were reluctant to move from familiar areas. Frequency of subpopulation change was higher in females than in males (first-recruiters: 30% vs. 22%, n = 987; adults 5% vs. 1%, n = 719), according to their different breeding roles. However, all populational factors had an equal effect on individuals of different sex and dispersal status. 3. Movement rates decreased with inter-subpopulation distance -indicating that travelling to distant subpopulations may impose costs in terms of breeding prospectsand with the number of subpopulations, which increased during our study period. 4. Conspecific attraction strongly influenced the probability of dispersal: it was relatively higher in largely populated subpopulations, and individuals of large subpopulations were reluctant to change to others. These results were neither influenced by the size and breeding density of the subpopulations nor by habitat quality in terms of food availability or risk of predation, as indicated by breeding success of kestrels at each subpopulation. The number of conspecifics could be used by the kestrels as a cue of patch quality in terms of settlement options, and large subpopulations could be more easily detected by prospecting birds. 5. Our study highlights the fact that several assumptions of theoretical metapopulation modelling are often not fulfilled in nature. Both theoretical models and management strategies on spatially structured populations or metapopulations should thus consider the number, population size, and spatial distribution of local populations, as well as their relationships with the dispersal ability of the species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dispersal within a spatially structured population of lesser kestrels: the role of spatial isolation and conspecific attraction

Serrano

Tella

2003

Journal of Animal Ecology

115

112

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“…A similar pattern can be found in the scarlet tanager Piranga olivacea Gmelin, a Nearctic–Neotropical migrant bird species that occupies landscapes representing a broad range of habitat amounts (10–100%), but still responds to fine‐scale habitat configuration (Villard, Merriam & Maurer ; Villard, Trzcinski & Merriam ; Hames et al . ). Fraser & Stutchbury () have shown that this species can move frequently among small, spatially aggregated fragments, combining them into its territory.…”

Section: A Conceptual Model To Integrate Habitat Amount and Configuramentioning

confidence: 97%

REVIEW: Beyond the fragmentation debate: a conceptual model to predict when habitat configuration really matters

Villard

Metzger

2014

Journal of Applied Ecology

335

280

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Summary Research addressing the effects of habitat fragmentation on species, assemblages or ecosystems has been fraught with difficulties, from its conceptual foundation to statistical analyses and interpretation. Yet, it is critical to address such challenges as ecosystems are rapidly being altered across the world. Many studies have concluded that effects of habitat loss exceed those of fragmentation per se, that is, the degree to which a given amount of habitat is broken apart. There is also evidence from different biomes and taxa that habitat configuration, that is, the spatial arrangement of habitat at a given time, may influence several landscape processes such as functional connectivity, edge and matrix effects, and thus population viability. Instead of focusing attention on the relative influence of either habitat loss or fragmentation, we must identify portions of the gradient in habitat amount where configuration effects are most likely to be observed. Here, we suggest that all species are, to a certain degree, sensitive to landscape change and that, assuming a homogeneous matrix, habitat configuration will have a higher influence on species at intermediate values of habitat amount, where configuration has potentially the greatest variability. On the basis of empirical studies and simulations, we expect that species that are relatively tolerant to fragmentation of their habitat will exhibit a wider band where amount and configuration interact compared to species less tolerant to fragmentation. Synthesis and applications. Reducing habitat loss should be a top priority for conservation planners. However, researchers should also investigate the indirect impacts of habitat loss on biodiversity through fragmentation effects. This research aims to identify windows of opportunity where habitat configuration can mitigate to some extent the effects of habitat loss, particularly through the maintenance of functional connectivity.

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“…Occupancy has been used as an alternative state variable to abundance for many inferential purposes ranging from questions about habitat selection (e.g., Reunanen et al 2002, Scott et al 2002, Bradford et al 2003 to questions about population dynamics and distribution (e.g., Hames et al 2001, Barbraud et al 2003, Martinez-Solano et al 2003. Occupancy data are recognized to be especially useful for the study of rare species, although the historical emphasis for such species has been on use of occupancy as an index to abundance, rather than on occupancy as a state variable of interest in its own right (e.g., Diefenbach et al 1994).…”

Section: Occupancymentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving Inferences in Population Studies of Rare Species That Are Detected Imperfectly

MacKenzie

Nichols

Sutton

et al. 2005

Ecology

362

288

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For the vast majority of cases, it is highly unlikely that all the individuals of a population will be encountered during a study. Furthermore, it is unlikely that a constant fraction of the population is encountered over times, locations, or species to be compared. Hence, simple counts usually will not be good indices of population size. We recommend that detection probabilities (the probability of including an individual in a count) be estimated and incorporated into inference procedures. However, most techniques for estimating detection probability require moderate sample sizes, which may not be achievable when studying rare species. In order to improve the reliability of inferences from studies of rare species, we suggest two general approaches that researchers may wish to consider that incorporate the concept of imperfect detectability: (1) borrowing information about detectability or the other quantities of interest from other times, places, or species; and (2) using state variables other than abundance (e.g., species richness and occupancy). We illustrate these suggestions with examples and discuss the relative benefits and drawbacks of each approach.

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Site reoccupation in fragmented landscapes: testing predictions of metapopulation theory

Cited by 49 publications

References 36 publications

Dispersal within a spatially structured population of lesser kestrels: the role of spatial isolation and conspecific attraction

Dispersal within a spatially structured population of lesser kestrels: the role of spatial isolation and conspecific attraction

REVIEW: Beyond the fragmentation debate: a conceptual model to predict when habitat configuration really matters

Improving Inferences in Population Studies of Rare Species That Are Detected Imperfectly

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