Abstract
Success rates for conservation translocations of species are lowand there is a need for increased understanding of how this activity is best applied. Here, using static species distribution models and a spatially-explicit dynamic simulation model, RangeShifter, we examine the impacts of habitat cover in recipient landscapes, allocation of individuals into multiple sites and species trait characteristics on the long-term fate of hypothetical translocations of a grassland specialist butterfly, Maniola jurtina, in Finland. While persistence of populations introduced to climatically suitable locations northwards of the current range can be increased by selecting sites with increasing habitat cover and by allocation of individuals to multiple release sites, local population growth rate is shown to be the key parameter in determining likely translocation success. We conclude that the long-termpersistence of translocated habitat specialist butterflies, particularly with low growth rates, appears to be uncertain in modern-day fragmented grassland networks and that translocation activities should prioritize management that improves local growth rate.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 200-206 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Biological Conservation |
| Volume | 192 |
| Early online date | 3 Oct 2015 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Dec 2015 |
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Keywords
- Conservation translocation
- Dispersal
- Dynamic modelling
- Grassland conservation
- Population persistence
- Risk spreading
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Nature and Landscape Conservation
Cite this
Modelling potential success of conservation translocations of a specialist grassland butterfly. / Heikkinen, Risto K.; Pöyry, Juha; Virkkala, Raimo; Bocedi, Greta; Kuussaari, Mikko; Schweiger, Oliver; Settele, Josef; Travis, Justin M J.
In: Biological Conservation, Vol. 192, 01.12.2015, p. 200-206.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Modelling potential success of conservation translocations of a specialist grassland butterfly
AU - Heikkinen, Risto K.
AU - Pöyry, Juha
AU - Virkkala, Raimo
AU - Bocedi, Greta
AU - Kuussaari, Mikko
AU - Schweiger, Oliver
AU - Settele, Josef
AU - Travis, Justin M J
N1 - Funding for this work was provided by the Academy of Finland project A-LA-CARTE. JMJT was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council, UK. Most of the European distributional data were compiled by Otakar Kudrna within the framework of Kudrna (2002) and Kudrna et al. (2011). Kimmo Saarinen provided kindly the NAFI data for the study.
PY - 2015/12/1
Y1 - 2015/12/1
N2 - Success rates for conservation translocations of species are lowand there is a need for increased understanding of how this activity is best applied. Here, using static species distribution models and a spatially-explicit dynamic simulation model, RangeShifter, we examine the impacts of habitat cover in recipient landscapes, allocation of individuals into multiple sites and species trait characteristics on the long-term fate of hypothetical translocations of a grassland specialist butterfly, Maniola jurtina, in Finland. While persistence of populations introduced to climatically suitable locations northwards of the current range can be increased by selecting sites with increasing habitat cover and by allocation of individuals to multiple release sites, local population growth rate is shown to be the key parameter in determining likely translocation success. We conclude that the long-termpersistence of translocated habitat specialist butterflies, particularly with low growth rates, appears to be uncertain in modern-day fragmented grassland networks and that translocation activities should prioritize management that improves local growth rate.
AB - Success rates for conservation translocations of species are lowand there is a need for increased understanding of how this activity is best applied. Here, using static species distribution models and a spatially-explicit dynamic simulation model, RangeShifter, we examine the impacts of habitat cover in recipient landscapes, allocation of individuals into multiple sites and species trait characteristics on the long-term fate of hypothetical translocations of a grassland specialist butterfly, Maniola jurtina, in Finland. While persistence of populations introduced to climatically suitable locations northwards of the current range can be increased by selecting sites with increasing habitat cover and by allocation of individuals to multiple release sites, local population growth rate is shown to be the key parameter in determining likely translocation success. We conclude that the long-termpersistence of translocated habitat specialist butterflies, particularly with low growth rates, appears to be uncertain in modern-day fragmented grassland networks and that translocation activities should prioritize management that improves local growth rate.
KW - Conservation translocation
KW - Dispersal
KW - Dynamic modelling
KW - Grassland conservation
KW - Population persistence
KW - Risk spreading
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84943536767&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.biocon.2015.09.028
DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2015.09.028
M3 - Article
VL - 192
SP - 200
EP - 206
JO - Biological Conservation
JF - Biological Conservation
SN - 0006-3207
ER -