Abstract
Spatial structure of habitats has been found to affect the species
abundance and distribution patterns in heterogeneous environments. In this
thesis, I studied landscape responses of the Siberian flying squirrel in a
boreal forest context in northern Finland. Studies were conducted at
several spatial scales in order to identify landscape characteristics that
are associated with the species occurrence at a local scale and its
distribution patterns at a regional scale. Data on species presence and
absence in forest areas were collected in the field. Habitat patterns in
landscapes were analysed from satellite images and landscape metrics
concerning landscape structure were quantified in Geographic Information
Systems (GIS).
Results of this study are in agreement with the general landscape
ecological theory and findings in the field. In northern Finland, the
distribution of the Siberian flying squirrel primarily follows the spatial
extent of spruce-dominated forests but that its actual occurrence is
dependent on the scale of observation and the habitat structure. At a home
range scale the abundance of deciduous trees in old spruce forest
increases the probability that a forest site is occupied by the species,
whereas at a local scale the amount of such spruce forests and linkages
between habitat patches play an important role. At a regional scale, an
increase in open areas and the dominance of pine makes the habitat
unsuitable and restricts the presence of the species.
Findings of the present research forward practical forest management
planning at a large scale and may help set general conservation goals for
the Siberian flying squirrel. When managing the species in a complex
network of habitat patches in heterogeneous landscapes, spatial dispersion
of potential habitat patches as well as connecting habitat and their
temporal development should be considered carefully. For this purpose,
remote sensed images and GIS are valuable and useful tools.
Satellite-image based landscape analysis is presently developing rapidly
and hopefully this methodology will soon become a common practice in
landscape ecological research and everyday forest management planning.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:oulo.fi/oai:oulu.fi:isbn951-42-6496-7 |
| Date | 20 September 2001 |
| Creators | Reunanen, P. (Pasi) |
| Publisher | University of Oulu |
| Source Sets | University of Oulu |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess, © University of Oulu, 2001 |
| Relation | info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pissn/0355-3191, info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/eissn/1796-220X |
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