Abstract To counteract the negative effects of forest fragmentation on wildlife, it is crucial to maintain functional ecological networks. We identified the ecological networks for 2 mammals with very different degrees of forest specialization, the European badger Meles meles and the Roe deer Capreolus capreolus, by differentiating 4 agroforestry elements as either nodes or connectivity elements, and by defining the distance that provides the functional connectivity between fragments. Species occurrence data were collected in a wide agroecosystem in northern Italy. To test the role of hedgerows, traditional poplar cultivations, short rotation coppices, and reforestations as ecological network elements for the 2 species we applied the method of simulated species perceptions of the landscape (SSPL), comparing the ability of different SSPLs to explain the observed species distribution. All analyses were repeated considering different scenarios of species movement ability through the matrix. Model outputs seem to show that the specialist and highly mobile Roe deer has the same movement ability throughout the matrix (2 km) as the European badger, a smaller, but generalist species. The ecological network identified for the European badger was widespread throughout the area and was composed of woodlands, poplar cultivations and hedgerows as nodes and short rotation coppices as connectivity elements. Conversely, the ecological network of the Roe deer was mostly limited to the main forest areas and was composed of woodlands, poplar cultivations and reforestations as nodes and short rotation coppices and hedgerows as connectivity elements. The degree of forest specialization strongly affects both species perception of habitat and movement ability throughout the matrix, regardless of species size. This has important implications for species conservation.

中文翻译：

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物种专业化限制运动能力并塑造生态网络：两种森林哺乳动物的案例研究

摘要 为了抵消森林破碎化对野生动物的负面影响，维持功能性生态网络至关重要。我们通过将 4 个农林业元素区分为节点或连接元素，并通过定义提供功能连接的距离，确定了 2 种森林专业化程度非常不同的哺乳动物的生态网络，即欧洲獾 Meles meles 和狍狍 Capreolus capreolus片段之间。物种发生数据是在意大利北部广泛的农业生态系统中收集的。为了测试树篱、传统杨树种植、短轮伐林和重新造林作为 2 个物种的生态网络元素的作用，我们应用了模拟物种景观感知 (SSPL) 方法，比较不同 SSPL 解释观察到的物种分布的能力。考虑到物种通过矩阵移动能力的不同情况，所有分析都被重复。模型输出似乎表明，专科和高度移动的狍在整个矩阵（2 公里）内具有与欧洲獾（一种体型较小但多才多艺的物种）相同的移动能力。为欧洲獾确定的生态网络在整个地区广泛分布，由林地、杨树栽培和树篱作为节点和短轮伐林作为连接元素组成。相反，狍的生态网络大多局限于主要林区，以林地、杨树种植和重新造林为节点，短轮伐林和树篱为连接要素。无论物种大小，森林专业化程度都会强烈影响物种对栖息地的感知和整个矩阵的移动能力。这对物种保护具有重要意义。