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What is the required minimum landscape size for dispersal studies?

Franzén, Markus LU and Nilsson, Sven LU (2007) In Journal of Animal Ecology 76(6). p.1224-1230
Abstract
1.Among small animals dispersal parameters are mainly obtained by traditional methods using population studies of marked individuals. Dispersal studies may underestimate the rate and distance of dispersal, and be biased because of aggregated habitat patches and a small study area. The probability of observing long distance dispersal events decreases with distance travelled by the organisms. In this study a new approach is presented to solve this methodological problem.

2. An extensive mark–release–recapture programme was performed in an area of 81 km2 in southern Sweden. To estimate the required size of the study area for adequate

dispersal measures we examined the effect of study area size on dispersal distance using... (More)
1.Among small animals dispersal parameters are mainly obtained by traditional methods using population studies of marked individuals. Dispersal studies may underestimate the rate and distance of dispersal, and be biased because of aggregated habitat patches and a small study area. The probability of observing long distance dispersal events decreases with distance travelled by the organisms. In this study a new approach is presented to solve this methodological problem.

2. An extensive mark–release–recapture programme was performed in an area of 81 km2 in southern Sweden. To estimate the required size of the study area for adequate

dispersal measures we examined the effect of study area size on dispersal distance using empirical data and a repeated subsampling procedure. In 2003 and 2004, two species of diurnal burnet moths (Zygaenidae) were studied to explore dispersal patterns.

3. The longest confirmed dispersal distance was 5600 m and in total 100 dispersal events were found between habitat patches for the two species. The estimated dispersal

distance was strongly affected by the size of the study area and the number of marked individuals. For areas less than 10 km2 most of the dispersal events were undetected.

Realistic estimates of dispersal distance require a study area of at least 50 km2.

4. To obtain adequate measures of dispersal, the marked population should be large, preferably over 500 recaptured individuals. This result was evident for the mean moved

distance, mean dispersal distance and maximum dispersal distance.

5. In general, traditional dispersal studies are performed in small study areas and based on few individuals and should therefore be interpreted with care. Adequate dispersal measures for insects obtained by radio-tracking and genetic estimates (gene flow) is still a challenge for the future. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Zygaenidae, movement, Lepidoptera, mark–release–recapture, dispersal distance
in
Journal of Animal Ecology
volume
76
issue
6
pages
1224 - 1230
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • wos:000249992400020
  • scopus:35148886655
  • pmid:17922719
ISSN
1365-2656
DOI
10.1111/j.1365-2656.2007.01285.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b51f1db9-1814-461f-9018-beb712d5cba2 (old id 644853)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 11:44:08
date last changed
2022-08-23 19:21:15
@article{b51f1db9-1814-461f-9018-beb712d5cba2,
  abstract     = {{1.Among small animals dispersal parameters are mainly obtained by traditional methods using population studies of marked individuals. Dispersal studies may underestimate the rate and distance of dispersal, and be biased because of aggregated habitat patches and a small study area. The probability of observing long distance dispersal events decreases with distance travelled by the organisms. In this study a new approach is presented to solve this methodological problem.<br/><br>
2. An extensive mark–release–recapture programme was performed in an area of 81 km2 in southern Sweden. To estimate the required size of the study area for adequate<br/><br>
dispersal measures we examined the effect of study area size on dispersal distance using empirical data and a repeated subsampling procedure. In 2003 and 2004, two species of diurnal burnet moths (Zygaenidae) were studied to explore dispersal patterns.<br/><br>
3. The longest confirmed dispersal distance was 5600 m and in total 100 dispersal events were found between habitat patches for the two species. The estimated dispersal<br/><br>
distance was strongly affected by the size of the study area and the number of marked individuals. For areas less than 10 km2 most of the dispersal events were undetected.<br/><br>
Realistic estimates of dispersal distance require a study area of at least 50 km2.<br/><br>
4. To obtain adequate measures of dispersal, the marked population should be large, preferably over 500 recaptured individuals. This result was evident for the mean moved<br/><br>
distance, mean dispersal distance and maximum dispersal distance.<br/><br>
5. In general, traditional dispersal studies are performed in small study areas and based on few individuals and should therefore be interpreted with care. Adequate dispersal measures for insects obtained by radio-tracking and genetic estimates (gene flow) is still a challenge for the future.}},
  author       = {{Franzén, Markus and Nilsson, Sven}},
  issn         = {{1365-2656}},
  keywords     = {{Zygaenidae; movement; Lepidoptera; mark–release–recapture; dispersal distance}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{1224--1230}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Journal of Animal Ecology}},
  title        = {{What is the required minimum landscape size for dispersal studies?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2656.2007.01285.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1365-2656.2007.01285.x}},
  volume       = {{76}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}