Species distribution models (SDMs) usually describe the landscape through single landcover types as explicative and independent variables. However, species distribution responds to ecological processes that are represented in spatial patterns of landcovers, which are not usually considered in SDMs. From the hypothesis that Iberian lynx occurrence will depend on landscape functioning and that spatial organisation of landcovers is a reliable indicator of landscape functionality, we built a SDM based on landscape structure, to: (i) assess the relevance that spatial organisation of landcovers has for SDMs; (ii) describe the suitable landscape for the presence/conservation of the Iberian lynx. Spatial organisation of landscape is identified by recognising landscape mosaics, which are sets of patches with a similar pattern of boundaries. We identified landscape mosaics within western area of the province of Madrid. Then, we used field-collected lynx scats to test if species’ preferences are related to landscape mosaics. The species shows its preference for two out of eight identified mosaics. It shows preference for mosaics with low human-modified holm oak forests, but it does not show rejection of traditional land-uses such as pasture or non-intensive agriculture. The relevance of watercourses was also shown, since two of four mosaics with characteristic riparian vegetation prove to be relevant in the model. As landscape includes spatial interactions (boundaries) among landcovers it is a more holistic descriptor than single landcovers. This contributes to increase SDMs performance and usefulness for designing more accurate conservation actions, compared to those based on single landcover composition.

中文翻译：

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评估栖息地类型之间生态相互作用模式对物种分布的影响：研究西班牙中部的伊比利亚猞猁（Lynx pardinus Temminck 1827）

物种分布模型 (SDM) 通常通过作为解释性和自变量的单一土地覆盖类型来描述景观。然而，物种分布对以土地覆盖空间模式表示的生态过程有反应，这在 SDM 中通常不考虑。根据伊比利亚猞猁的发生将取决于景观功能以及土地覆被的空间组织是景观功能的可靠指标这一假设，我们建立了一个基于景观结构的 SDM，以：(i) 评估土地覆被的空间组织与SDM；(ii) 描述适合伊比利亚猞猁存在/保护的景观。景观的空间组织是通过识别景观马赛克来识别的，景观马赛克是具有相似边界模式的斑块集。我们确定了马德里省西部地区的景观马赛克。然后，我们使用现场收集的猞猁粪便来测试物种的偏好是否与景观马赛克有关。该物种显示出其对八分之二的已识别马赛克的偏好。它显示出对低人工改造的圣栎林的马赛克的偏好，但它没有显示出对传统土地用途的拒绝，例如牧场或非集约化农业。还显示了水道的相关性，因为具有特征性河岸植被的四个镶嵌图中的两个在模型中被证明是相关的。由于景观包括土地覆被之间的空间相互作用（边界），因此它是比单一土地覆被更全面的描述。这有助于提高 SDM 的性能和实用性，以设计更准确的保护行动，