The application of ‘least-cost’ modelling as a functional landscape model

Adriaensen, Frank; Chardon, J.P.; Blust, Geert De; Swinnen, Else; Villalba, S; Gulinck, Hubert; Matthysen, Erik

doi:10.1016/s0169-2046(02)00242-6

Cited by 1,200 publications

(987 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…We used the least-cost path method [7] to simulate movements of American marten across cost surfaces, where grid cells are parameterized according to predicted costs of marten movement. ArcGIS 9.3 COSTDISTANCE and COSTPATH tools [33] were used to calculate the cumulative cost of each cell in the landscape and to link source and destination cells with the minimal cumulative cost.…”

Section: Least-cost Path Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, the occurrence of an animal in a habitat may depend on the surrounding matrix, and the consideration of movement constraints appears to be crucial in the development of habitat selection models [1,5,6]. Spatially explicit simulations including least-cost paths [7,8] have become increasingly popular for modelling optimum movement routes of animals. Least-cost models can simulate animal movements based on the configuration of different spatial features within a heterogeneous landscape, and the hypothetical resistance to movement associated with them.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Modelling Marten (Martes americana) Movement Costs in a Boreal Forest: Effects of Grain Size and Thematic Resolution

Planckaert

Desrochers

2012

International Journal of Ecology

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We investigated landscape resistance to movements of American marten (Martes americana) based on snow-tracking data. We generated movement cost maps of the study area with different grain size, thematic resolution, and habitat-specific resistance to movements. We compared simulated tracks obtained from resistance maps to real tracks plotted along transects that we surveyed in winters 2004 to 2008 at the Montmorency Forest, Quebec, Canada. Simulated tracks were located at the intersection between least-cost paths simulated across the study area and transects. We used nearest-neighbour distances between simulated and real tracks to assess the performance of resistance maps and estimate landscape resistance parameters. Simulations with specified costs to movement for open areas, young forest, and mature forest performed better than simpler resistance scenarios, suggesting that resistance to marten movements differed among those landscape attributes that were considered. Simulations with a map grain size of 100 m performed significantly better than 5, 25, and 300 m, possibly because of gap crossing avoidance. Model performance (compared to null model) was maximal when resistance to movement in open habitat was set to 20 times higher than in mature forest, but uncertainty around this estimate was large. This research demonstrates that presence-only (point) data can be used to parameterize movements using spatially explicit modelling.

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Section: Least-cost Path Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling Marten (Martes americana) Movement Costs in a Boreal Forest: Effects of Grain Size and Thematic Resolution

Planckaert

Desrochers

2012

International Journal of Ecology

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“…L'incorporazione di misure di connettività e coesione tra patch basate su metodologie che fanno riferimento al costo per distanza percorsa (Adriaensen et al 2003) potrebbe certamente migliorare le possibilità di corretta comprensione dell'occupazione spaziale delle patch per il Gallo cedrone delle Alpi.…”

Section: Valutazione Dell'influenza DI Superficie Isolamento E Conneunclassified

Forest as Capercaillie’s habitat: applied research efforts and new management experiences

Brugnoli¹,

Brugnoli²

2006

Forest@

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Abstract:Forest as Capercaillie's habitat: applied research efforts and new management experiences. Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus L.) is considered as an indicator species for naturally open coniferous forests, with high proportions of old and open stands. At present, Capercaillie conservation status is threatened in all its central European distribution range: the species has narrow habitat preferences and large spatial requirements and it is particularly susceptible to changes in landscape and habitat use. Forestry practices are commonly considered as the major factor influencing Capercaillie's population dynamics, though direct human disturbance is another threat of considerable impact. Increasing loss and fragmentation of suitable habitats have resulted in small populations with different levels of connectivity, up to complete isolation. Preservation, restoration and improvement of the habitat are the most important conservation measures to ensure the long-term survival of Capercaillie populations. Integrating silvicultural practices with specific environmental requirements of this forest grouse is therefore of crucial importance. Some results of recent research and conservation efforts carried out in central-eastern Alpine Arc of Switzerland and Italy are presented here, based on different research approaches. Preliminary experiences of management guidelines applied to conservation strategy of such a symbolic species are also commented. A conservation strategy recently developed by Regione Lombardia is discussed. Secondly, two studies developed in the frame of a research project concerning "A metapopulation model of Capercaillie in the Swiss Alps" are presented, referring to different spatial scale (forest stand and landscape). A specific Action Plan at Swiss national level will be developed based on the main results of this project. Finally implementation of Special Forest Reserves is described, as a possible long-term tool for protecting and conserving Capercaillie populations.Keywords: Gallo cedrone, Gestione forestale, Selvicoltura, Conservazione degli habitat, Riserva speciale forestale.

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“…Chinese scholars mostly learned about earlier foreign theories and examples of ecological network construction and used geographic information system (GIS) techniques and the theory of ecological network construction to help build cities. Their studies have focused on urban green-land system planning [20,21], applications of GIS in ecological network construction [22][23][24][25][26][27], the analysis and evaluation of the structure of urban ecological networks [28], and studies on the ecological network planning model [29]. There are some practical applications of urban ecological network construction in China.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological Network Construction Based on Minimum Cumulative Resistance for the City of Nanjing, China

Dong

Dai

Shao

et al. 2015

IJGI

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Abstract:With economic growth and the improvement of the urbanization level, human activities have constantly interfered with landscape patterns, resulting in serious threats to regional ecological security. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the evolution and optimization of the landscape patterns. Based on three TM images from 1990, 2000, and 2010, and selected landscape pattern indexes, the changes in the landscape pattern of Nanjing in the past twenty years were studied based on landscape ecology theory using Remote Sensing (RS) and a Geographical Information System (GIS). The ecological network was built on the basis of extracted ecological nodes and the minimum cumulative resistance. The results show that changes in the landscape pattern of the city of Nanjing were notable. Class-level indexes indicate that the farmland landscape area decreased and the degree of patch fragmentation increased. The construction land area increased, and it tended to show dispersed distribution. The proportion of forest land increased and the shape of patches became more complex. The proportion of water firstly showed a decrease, followed by an increase, and the shape of the water became more regular. Landscape-level indexes indicate that biological diversity and the degree of fragmentation increased. Spatial heterogeneity of the natural landscape increased, and the patch shape of each landscape type developed similarly. The results also call for stepping-stones to enhance the connectivity and optimization of the ecological network, which will help improve ecological services and improve the landscape pattern of the city.

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The application of ‘least-cost’ modelling as a functional landscape model

Cited by 1,200 publications

References 31 publications

Modelling Marten (Martes americana) Movement Costs in a Boreal Forest: Effects of Grain Size and Thematic Resolution

Modelling Marten (Martes americana) Movement Costs in a Boreal Forest: Effects of Grain Size and Thematic Resolution

Forest as Capercaillie’s habitat: applied research efforts and new management experiences

Ecological Network Construction Based on Minimum Cumulative Resistance for the City of Nanjing, China

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