Increasing connectivity between metapopulation ecology and landscape ecology

Area of Science:

• Ecological modeling
• Conservation biology
• Spatial ecology

Background:

• Metapopulation and landscape ecology traditionally use different modeling approaches.
• Existing models often overlook landscape heterogeneity or colonization/extinction dynamics.
• A unified framework is needed to link landscape structure to metapopulation processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel spatially explicit modeling framework integrating metapopulation and landscape ecology.
• To enable statistical inference on landscape resistance to colonization using empirical data.
• To advance understanding of how landscape structure affects metapopulation dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Developed a spatially explicit modeling framework.
• Integrated patch characteristics and landscape structure.
• Applied the framework to 11 years of Chiricahua leopard frog occupancy data.

Main Results:

• Landscape resistance to colonization increased with elevation and distance from streambeds.
• Patch quality (pond permanence) significantly influenced colonization rates.
• Intermittent ponds had higher extinction rates and lower colonization contribution.

Conclusions:

• The novel framework successfully links landscape structure to metapopulation dynamics.
• Conservation strategies should consider landscape resistance and patch quality for amphibians.
• The framework is broadly applicable to metapopulation studies in complex landscapes.