From a theoretical viewpoint, nature management basically has two options to prolong metapopulation persistence: decreasing local extinction probabilities and increasing colonization probabilities. This article focuses on those options with a stochastic, single-species metapopulation model. We found that for most combinations of local extinction probabilities and colonization probabilities, decreasing the former increases metapopulation extinction time more than does increasing the latter by the same amount. Only for relatively low colonization probabilities is an effort to increase these probabilities more beneficial, but even then, decreasing extinction probabilities does not seem much less effective. Furthermore, we found the following rules of thumb. First, if one focuses on extinction, one should preferably decrease the lowest local extinction probability. Only if the extinction probabilities are (almost) equal should one prioritize decreases in the local extinction probability of the patch with the best direct connections to and from other patches. Second, if one focuses on colonization, one should preferably increase the colonization probability between the patches with the lowest local extinction probability. Only if the local extinction probabilities are (almost) equal should one instead prioritize increases in the highest colonization probability (unless extinction probabilities and colonization probabilities are very low). The rules of thumb have an important common denominator: the local extinction process has a greater bearing on metapopulation extinction time than colonization.Keywords: colonization, extinction, metapopulation, conservation.Ever since Levins (1969Levins ( , 1970 presented his well-known metapopulation model, it has been clear that the key processes in single-species metapopulation dynamics are local extinction and (re)colonization. For nature management of single-species metapopulations, this has the important consequence that attempts to prolong metapopulation * E-mail: r.s.etienne@plant.wag-ur.nl. † E-mail: j.a.p.heesterbeek@plant.wag-ur.nl.Am. Nat. 2001. Vol. 158, pp. 389- persistence can either be directed toward decreasing the probability of local extinction or toward increasing the probability of colonization. The former may be achieved by, for instance, improving habitat quality or size (cf. Klok and de Roos 1998), whereas the latter is often attained by building corridors or stepping stones (Schultz 1998). However, corridors may affect local extinction probability as well, both positively (by the rescue effect; Brown and Kodric-Brown 1977) and negatively (by a leakage or dilution effect; Allen et al. 1992). Likewise, improving habitat quality may have positive and negative effects on the ability to generate colonists or to be colonized (a better-quality patch might attract more immigrants and could produce more colonizers due to higher reproduction [see, e.g., Hanski 1994;Vos et al. 2001], or such a patch might sustain a larger population and thus offer less ince...