WERC HCP Support: Reserve Design

Reserve Design The configuration, size, juxtaposition, and linkages of protected landscapes are key considerations of Habitat Conservation Planning. The natural landscape is typically a geographical mosaic of vegetation, water bodies, and other features that break the land into patches of more or less suitable conditions for a given species. Each species has developed adaptations for moving across certain features of the landscape and conversely are unable to move across others.
The losses and fragmentation of habitat on the natural landscape due to human land uses, however, pose unique conservation challenges. Past, current, and future land use decisions will have profound effects on the ability of the landscape to sustain suitable conditions for each species of concern. Every conservation planning effort requires special consideration to ensure that the configuration of reserve areas is suitable for sustaining the species in question. Research efforts in this area address questions such as:
How much habitat is enough to sustain target species? What is the most advantageous configuration of a reserve(s)? Should reserved areas be linked and if so, how? Should we develop many small reserves or fewer larger reserves? What kind of land uses adjoining reserve areas are acceptable, how far from reserves are these land uses acceptable?

Examples of current research that are contributing to our knowledge about certain species at risk include: Restoration of severely disturbed lands to viable wetlands Waterfowl distribution, movements and habitat use relative to recent habitat changes in the central valley of California Evaluation of a wetland-cropland rotational system to enhance wildlife and fish habitats on the Tule Lake NWR Disturbance of wintering snowy plovers at Coal Oil Point and other Pacific Coast populations

Return to HCP Main Page

-- WERC Home -- Who We Are -- Where We Are -- What We Do -- What's New -- Outreach -- Contact Us -- Search --

USGS Privacy Policy, Disclaimer , Accessibility
Comments to: webmaster@werc.usgs.gov
URL: http://www.werc.usgs.gov/hcp/reserve.html
Last update: 06 March 2003