Reserve design to optimize the long-term persistence of multiple species

Area of Science:

• Conservation Biology
• Spatial Ecology
• Biodiversity Management

Background:

• Protected areas are crucial for biodiversity conservation.
• Current reserve design methods prioritize species representation but lack future persistence assurance.
• Metapopulation dynamics and landscape connectivity are key to long-term species survival.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel reserve design strategy integrating metapopulation theory and spatial conservation prioritization.
• To minimize extinction risk for multiple species simultaneously within reserve networks.
• To optimize reserve configuration for metapopulation persistence, considering both representation and connectivity.

Main Methods:

• Combined metapopulation theory with spatial conservation prioritization.
• Developed a framework to optimize reserve spatial configuration for metapopulation persistence.
• Applied the framework to design a reserve network for 114 terrestrial mammal species in Indonesian New Guinea.
• Built upon the Marxan reserve design tool.

Main Results:

• The new strategy significantly improved estimated species persistence (metapopulation capacity) by an average of 4.6-fold.
• Achieved enhanced persistence without increasing socioeconomic costs.
• Demonstrated the framework's effectiveness in a real-world case study.

Conclusions:

• Conservation planning should prioritize enhancing species persistence over arbitrary range representation.
• Integrating metapopulation dynamics and landscape connectivity is vital for effective reserve design.
• This approach offers a more robust strategy for minimizing extinction risk and ensuring long-term biodiversity conservation.