PATCH-OCCUPANCY DYNAMICS IN FRAGMENTED LANDSCAPES

Recent work on the dynamics of species living in fragmented landscapes has produced much information on patterns of habitat patch occupancy in a wide range of organisms. Building on an elementary Markov chain model of patch occupancy, a family of incidence-function models can be constructed for particular kinds of metapopulations. These models can be parameterized with field data on patch occupancy, and the models can be used to make quantitative predictions about specific metapopulations. This approach provides a potentially powerful tool for the management of reserve networks and species living in fragmented landscapes.