Abstract
Especially in agricultural landscapes, space and finances must be divided over different functions (infrastructure. housing, economic activities, recreation etc). In order to solve fragmentation problems of natural landscape elements successfully, the limited space and financial means must be used optimally. An effective method to do this is scenario analysis in which different scenarios of landscape design can be tested on nature values. LARCH is an existing decision support system, developed at IBN for spatial analysis of nature values in landscape design. This system is presently used as a tool for predicting animal metapopulation viability in landscape scenarios. This post-doc study will adapt the existing system, by adding rules for the needed (dynamic) landscape parameters for (plant) metapopulation stability at a multitrophic (multispecies) level. The output of the multitrophic model of the first post-doc (project 1) will give new insights in the spatial conditions for viable multitrophic metapopulations. Together with the results of the experimental research on plant- herbivore, herbivore-pathogenic and plant-pollinator interactions (project 3. 4 and 5). these insights will be translated in the needed rules for the adapted decision support system. In this way, the system can be used to predict upon increasing biodiversity (besides upon single target species) in nature areas and in the agricultural landscape.
Netherlands