SIZE ISN'T EVERYTHING: THE IMPORTANCE OF SMALL HABITAT PATCHES WHEN PLANNING THE CONSERVATION OF SPECIES IN FRAGMENTED LANDSCAPES

Metapopulation theory and landscape ecology indicate that larger patches of habitat are more likely to support self-sustaining populations of more species. In spatial conservation planning, it makes sense that if all else is equal; one would prefer to conserve a large patch of habitat over a small patch. However, simplistic and selective application of these theories is having perverse impacts on the viability of rare and threatened species in fragmented landscapes. Preference toward conserving large patches and ambivalence toward protecting small patches is manifest in many land management policies and regulations. However, due to historical patterns of land-use and habitat loss, it is sel…