Seminar by Dr Orjan Bodin: "Network based models of fragmented landscapes: concepts, applicability, and predictability"

Network based models of fragmented landscapes: concepts, applicability, and predictability

Speaker: Dr Orjan Bodin (Stockholm University, Sweden)
Date: Tuesday 24 November: 2009
Venue: Niven Library
Time: 13h00

Synopsis:
"Network based models of fragmented landscapes have received increasing interest since the late 90s. A network describing a fragmented landscape consists of: (1) Nodes (representing individually and spatially distinct habitat patches) and (2) Links (representing the possibility for species dispersal between individual patches). Thus, the network represents the landscapes spatial structure of connectivity (from an organisms point of view). It encapsulates the potential of an organism to traverse the landscape by moving from patch to patch. The network approach thus merges dispersal processes with spatial patterns of habitat patches, hence enables topological process-oriented analyses of landscape connectivity.

This work presents a set of case studies from rural and urban Sweden and southern Madagascar that are utilizing the network modeling approach in studying aspects of landscape connectivity. Experiences are synthesized in respect of the modeling frameworks possible advantages, shortcomings, applicability and ability to predict species presence/absence/abundance. A number of network based modeling approaches targeted to assess the importance of individual patches are also suggested and discussed."

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