What are the criteria for choosing a landscape?
Landscape Attributes
Tier One (must have):
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The full suite of landscape features.
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Contain a corridor complex, reference area, and two isolates.
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Landscape features that have a hard matrix edge that define them (i.e., agriculture, industry, etc.).
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A landscape configuration that has been stable for at least 50-years; longer stability is better.​
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Similar distances between corridor patches, isolates, and length of the reference.​
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An average corridor width of >100m (pinch points and linear features, such as roads, are okay), and length of >500m.
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Tier Two (ideal to have):
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Complimenting corridor features in the project (i.e., have different attributes to the corridor than what's already being sampled).
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More than one set of landscape features in an area. Isolates and references can be used for multiple corridors.


Figure 2. Graphical representation of landscape configuration.
Focal Species
Tier One (must have):
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Structured by natural landscapes (AKA a corridor dweller)
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Can have 1-2 species that are not corridor dwellers, but the majority should be.
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Moderate population size.
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We are looking for a species that has <1,000 individuals in a given area, so that sample size does not become too large/many genetic markers are needed to conclude anything.
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Tier Two (ideal to have):
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Existing microsatellite markers developed.
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Short(er) generation times.
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An unlisted species/not an endangered species.
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Easy to identify and sample.
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Navigate to any Active Landscape to see examples of chosen focal species.