A multiobjective evolutionary algorithm for optimizing spatial contiguity in reserve network design

作者：Wu Xiaolan^*; Murray Alan T; Xiao Ningchuan

来源：Landscape Ecology, 2011, 26(3): 425-437.

DOI：10.1007/s10980-011-9571-9

• Multiobjective spatial optimization
• Spatial contiguity
• Reserve design
• Landscape fragmentation

Landscape fragmentation is a well-recognized threat to the long-term survivability of many plant and animal species. As a complex concept, fragmentation has multiple spatial and functional components, of which spatial contiguity is of great importance. A contiguous landscape provides physical condition and increases the opportunities for species dispersal and migration. However, in real planning situations, contiguity is either too expensive to achieve or impractical because of barriers of urban landscapes. As such, the traditional yes/no function of contiguity has been extended into a notion of relative contiguity which has the value range between zero and one. Relative contiguity measures levels of interconnectivity of landscapes based on graph theory and spatial interaction. It takes into account both inner-reserve relationship (i.e. reserve sizes) and inter-reserve spatial proximity. This paper presents a multiobjective evolutionary algorithm approach to maximizing relative contiguity in reserve network design. This approach obtains solutions that maximize the measure of relative contiguity, minimize the total acquisition area, and satisfy constraints on the coverage of individual species. Application results show the developed algorithm has significant advantages in optimizing relative contiguity and generating a variety of alternative solutions.

• 出版日期2011-3