Reserve selection with minimum contiguous area restrictions: An application to open space protection planning in suburban Chicago

• Published in: Biological conservation Vol. 142; no. 8; pp. 1617 - 1627
• Main Authors: Tóth, Sándor F., Haight, Robert G., Snyder, Stephanie A., George, Sonney, Miller, James R., Gregory, Mark S., Skibbe, Adam M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2009; Kidlington, Oxford: Elsevier Science Ltd; Elsevier
• Subjects: 0–1 Programming; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; conservation areas; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Contiguity; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; grasslands; habitats; land use planning; mathematical models; optimization; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; Reserve design; simulation models; Spatial optimization; suburban areas; urban planning; Urban sprawl; wild birds; Illinois; USA, Illinois, Chicago; 0–1 Programming; Reserve design; Urban sprawl; Spatial optimization; Contiguity; Landscape; 0-1 Programming; Openfield; Urban area; Planning; Protection; Optimization
• ISSN: 0006-3207; 1873-2917
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2009.02.037

Conservation efforts often require site or parcel selection strategies that lead to spatially cohesive reserves. Although habitat contiguity is thought to be conducive to the persistence of many sensitive species, availability of funding and suitable land may restrict the extent to which this spatial attribute can be pursued in land management or conservation. Using optimization modeling, we explore the economic and spatial tradeoffs of retaining or restoring grassland habitat in contiguous patches of various sizes near the Chicago metropolitan area. The underlying mathematical construct is the first exact, generalized formulation that directly models spatial contiguity in optimal reserve selection. The construct allows conservation planners to analyze and weigh different minimum contiguous habitat size requirements that are to be used in specific land acquisition or retention projects.