Differences in Characteristics of Reserve Network Selection Using Population Data Versus Habitat Surrogates

Abstract

The use of species data versus environmental surrogates used in lieu of species data in systematic reserve site selection is still highly debated. We analyse in a case study whether and how the results of reserve network selection are affected by the use of species data versus habitat surrogates (habitat models) for qualitative (presence/absence) and quantitative (population size/habitat quality) information. In a model region, the post-mining landscape south of Leipzig/Germany, we used iterative algorithms to select a network for 29 animal target species from a basic set of 127 sites. The network results differ markedly for the two information types: depending on the representation goal, 18–45% of the selected sites chosen in response to one information type do not appear in the results for the other type. Given the availability of quantitative and hence deeper information, evaluation rules can be used to filter out the best habitats and the largest populations. In our model study, 0–40% less suitable areas were selected when instead of quantitative details only qualitative data were used. In view of various advantages and limitations of the two information types, we propose improving the methodological approach to the selection of networks for animal species by combining different information types.

Appendix

Data matrix for sites, which were selected at least once. The standardised abundance of occurrence (direct information; birds: breeding pairs, amphibians: maximum number of calling males; grasshoppers and butterflies: maximum number of observations along transects of 200 m length) and the size of a habitat with at least minimum suitability (indirect information, in hectares) are given. For the five examples of target species, instead of standardised abundance figures the exact population sizes were included (direct information); in addition habitat suitability (the sum of all habitat suitability indices within a site) is reported as the most detailed level of information.

Site-Code	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z
Direct infor„ma„tion:
Tar„get spe„cies oc„cu„rence [abun„dances]
Ini„tial suc„ces„sion stages
Bird Ripa„ria ripa„ria													10			20							15	10
Bird An„thus cam„pes„tris				3	5	2		5				8	5			20					5			3		8
Bird Oe„nan„the oe„nan„the			2	1	2	1	3	2				3	2			6					2		1	3		2
Bird Cha„rad„ri„us du„bi„us	1	3		3		2		4				2				5		1	1		3		1	2	1	5
Bird Emb„er„iza cal„an„dra		5	2	2	2	2						2	2		1	7	1		1
Bird Mota„cil„la flav„a	3	7	2	3	2			4		2		3				25	3	2	1					5
Grass„hop„per Oe„di„poda cae„rules„cens				1	2	2						3	3			4								2		2
Grass„hop„per Sphing„on„o„tus caeru„lans				1	4	1						2	1			3					2					1
Tiger bee„tle Ci„cin„del„a hyb„ri„da				2			6					6	7			10					3			3		3
Grass„land with wood„land ini„tials
Myrm„ele„on„i„dae				4	5	4	4					3	9								2
Bird La„nius col„lu„rio	2	2		1	1	1	2		1	1	1	2	3	1	1	8	2	1		2				4	2	3
Bird La„nius ex„cub„i„tor				1		1						2	3				1
Bird Syl„via nis„o„ria	1			1						1	1					1	1	1
Bird Saxi„co„la rub„e„tra	3	10		3										2	2	25	2							4	3	10
Bird Saxi„co„la tor„qu„at„a		5											5		4	10								2	1	7
Grass„hop„per Phane„rop„ter„a fal„cata					1	2						1				2								3		3
But„ter„fly Hip„par„chi„a he„rmi„one (L.)													2
Wet„lands
Amphib„ian: green toad Bufo vir„i„dis	5		20	2				20		5						70	5		15		10		5	5		10
Am„bhi„bian: natt„er„jack toad Bufo cal„a„mi„ta	5		50							5									5		10			5		10
Amphib„ian: spade„foot toad Pe„lo„bates fus„cus	50	10		20					20	50	20		1			200	50							50		20
Amphib„ian: Euro„pean tree frog Hyla ar„bo„rea	30			50					5	20			1			100	50						3	50
Bird Cir„cus ae„rug„i„no„sus	1	1		1		1			1	1	1		1			1	1							1		1
Bird Bo„tau„rus stel„lar„is																	1
Bird Ac„ro„ceph„a„lus ar„und„in„ac„eus	2	3		1						1						4	2
Bird Ac„ro„ceph„a„lus scir„pac„eus	5	7		4		2			1	4	2		3			15	7	2						4	1	4
Drag„on„fly Sympe„trum pede„monta„num				1		2						1				5	2	1						5	1	4
Drag„on„fly Orthe„trum brun„ne„um																2					2		1	2		1
Drag„on„fly Orthe„thrum coe„rules„cens				1												2	1
Drag„on„fly Is„chn„ura pumi„lio				1		2						2				4								4	2	2
Indi„rect infor„ma„tion:
Area of tar„get spe„cies hab„i„tat [ha] (suit„abil„ity)
Ini„tial suc„ces„sion stages
Bird Ripa„ria ripa„ria			2		1		2						5			2		2				1	1	1
Bird An„thus cam„pes„tris		3	5	2	5	2	3	5				5	3		1	50					5	5	2	2		5
Bird Oe„nan„the oe„nan„the			2	1	5	5	3	3				3	5		1	20					3	10	3	1		5
Bird Cha„rad„ri„us du„bi„us	1	5	5	2	3	2	2	3				3	3			5		1	1		5	5	1	1	1	5
Bird Emb„er„iza cal„an„dra		1	5	1	5	5		2				10	5		1	10	1		1		5	5	2			2
Bird Mota„cil„la flav„a	3	30	1	1	1	5	5	20		1		5	20		5	50	1	1	1					3		2
Grass„hop„per Oe„di„poda cae„rules„cens			5	3	5	5	3	1				10	10			50					10	5	2	1		5
Grass„hop„per Sphing„on„o„tus caeru„lans			10	2	7	2	1					5	3			20					30	20	2			5
Bee„tle Ci„cin„del„a hyb„ri„da			4	1	5	1	3	1				10	10			5		1	1		15	10	2	1		3
Grass„land with young wood„land
Myrm„ele„on„i„dae			1	1		1	5					3	5			2		1		2	3					5
Bird La„nius col„lu„rio	3	5	3	3		25	5	5		3	2	5	15	3	3	40	5			3				5	5	10
Bird La„nius ex„cub„i„tor						20							25			30				20						30
Bird Syl„via nis„o„ria	2									2	1		2		1	5	1
Bird Saxi„co„la rub„e„tra	5	3					3	10		5				1	5	15	5							5	1	5
Bird Saxi„co„la tor„qu„at„a		2	5		5	3	3	3				5	5		5	10								3	1	3
Grass„hop„per Phane„rop„ter„a fal„cate		5	3	1	1	10	10					5	5		5	10						2		3		3
But„ter„fly Hip„par„chi„a he„rmi„one (L.)						3	10						20							2						4
Wet„lands
Amphib„ian: green toad Bufo vir„i„dis	3	2	5	1	1			1	1	2		3	1	1		10	3		5		5		1	1		3
Am„bhi„bian: natt„er„jack toad Bufo cal„a„mi„ta	3	2	5	1	1			1	1	2		3	1	1		10	3		2		5		1	1		3
Amphib„ian: spade„foot toad Pe„lo„bates fus„cus	10	5		5					3	10	1		1			10	5		1					5
Amphib„ian: Euro„pean tree frog Hyla ar„bo„rea	10	5		5					3	10	5		1			7	15	1					1	10
Bird Cir„cus ae„rug„i„no„sus	25	100				5			1	10						7	15							20		20
Bird Bo„tau„rus stel„lar„is	25	50								10						7	15							10		20
Bird Ac„ro„ceph„a„lus ar„und„in„ac„eus	15	5		3						5	5					5	15							10		10
Bird Ac„ro„ceph„a„lus scir„pac„eus	15	5		1		3			3	5	5		1			5	15	1						10	1	10
Drag„on„fly Sympe„trum pe„dem„on„a„tum				1		1				2		1	2			10	5	2			3		1	10	2	5
Drag„on„fly Orthe„trum brun„ne„um			2													5	2		1		2		1	3	1	3
Drag„on„fly Orthe„thrum coe„rules„cens			2			1						1				5	2		1		2		1	3	1	3
Drag„on„fly Is„chn„ura pumi„lio	1		2			1						1				5	5		1		2		1	3	1	3
Indi„rect infor„ma„tion:
Exact hab„i„tat suit„abil„ity (sums)
Grass„hop„per Oe„di„poda cae„rules„cens	0	0	19.3	0	25	15	36	28	0	0	0	25	55	0.7	0	92	0	0	0	0	2	0	8.9	10	6	10
Grass„hop„per Sphing„on„o„tus caeru„lans	0	0	15	0	50	10	20	1	0	0	0	17.5	25	0	0	82	0	0	0	0	1	0	36	12	87	8
Amphib„ian Bufo vir„i„dis	5	4	25	7	0	2	0.5	30	1	3	0.6	0.8	2	0	0	71	1.2	0.9	36	0	5	1	7	12	0	3
Amphib„ian Pe„lo„bates fus„cus	7	2	0	10	0	15	0	2	15	25	20	0	0	0	0	82	42	0	0	0	6.6	0	0	0	0	0.1
Amphib„ian Hyla ar„bo„rea	20	85	0.1	15	0	4	0	2	4	20	5	1	2	0	0	73.2	80	0	0.5	0	20	0.3	0.2.	10	0	3