USEFULNESS OF SPATIALLY EXPLICIT POPULATION-MODELS IN LAND MANAGEMENT

Land managers need new tools, such as spatial models, to aid them in t heir decision-making processes because managing for biodiversity, wate r quality, or natural disturbance is challenging, and landscapes are c omplex and dynamic. Spatially explicit population models are helpful t o managers because these models consider both species-habitat relation ships and the arrangement of habitats in space and time. The visualiza tions that typically accompany spatially explicit models also permit m anagers to ''see'' the effects of alternative management strategies on populations of interest. However, the expense entailed in developing the data bases required for spatially explicit models may limit widesp read implementation. In addition, many of the models are developed for one or a few species, and dealing with multiple species in a landscap e remains a significant challenge. To be most useful to land managers, spatially explicit population models should be user friendly, easily portable, operate on spatial and temporal scales appropriate to manage ment decisions, and use input and output variables that can be measure d affordably.