Modelling of landscape resistances for different species groups

Lead Institute BD Institute of Biodiversity

We study the permeability of agricultural landscapes for dispersal of animal and plant species in relation to land-use types and structural elements (field margins, hedges) based on circuit theory (Circuitscape).

Modelling landscape resistances for different functional groups of arthropods and plants

Landscapes can impede dispersal of species to various degrees. Resistances of landscapes also depends on species’ dispersal abilities. We model landscape resistance for different functional groups of species based on circuit theory (Circuitscape).

Background and Objective

What is the local resistance (raster-cell level) of the agricultural landscape matrix and of semi-natural landscape elements for different functional groups?
What are the gap-crossing distances of different functional groups?
How are local resistances related to land-cover type and to species' traits?
In which way does the isolation effect depend on species' traits?

Approach

We use the software Circuitscape for calculations of landscape resistances and assess local resistance values of land-use and land-cover types based on empirical data (e.g. similarity indices of sample plots).

Thünen-Contact

PD Dr. Jan Thiele

Telephone

+49 531 596 3324

jan.thiele@thuenen.de

BD Institute of Biodiversity

Duration

Permanent task 5.2018

More Information

Project status: ongoing

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Institute of

BD Biodiversity

Project