1. Local population characteristics and habitat connectivity both have important influences on metapopulation persistence; however, the relative importance of each can vary depending on the ecological context, making it difficult to apply general ‘rules-of-thumb’ for conservation actions. This is particularly true in dendritic networks, where habitat connections are constrained.
2. By constructing a metapopulation model that specifically accounts for the unique characteristics and ecological system of a target species, the relative influence of local population characteristics and habitat connectivity on metapopulation persistence can be assessed more accurately.
3. This modelling approach was used to improve conservation outcomes for the Canterbury mudfish (kо̄waro Neochanna burrowsius), a critically endangered and poorly understood species that is endemic to the Canterbury Plains of Aotearoa/New Zealand. A spatially structured metapopulation model of N. burrowsius was used to investigate the relationship between habitat patch connectivity, rate of population growth as limited by habitat quality (r_conditional), and metapopulation persistence.
4. N. burrowsius metapopulation persistence increased most strongly under increases in r_conditional, but increases in habitat connectivity also had positive effects (94% metapopulation persistence for highly connected networks vs. 39% metapopulation persistence for poorly connected networks where r_conditional = 1.3).
5. Although rates of population growth were more influential than increases in habitat connectivity in this case study, both will be important to consider for effectively allocating conservation resources for metapopulations in dendritic networks, depending on what managers could effectively manipulate to enhance metapopulation persistence.

中文翻译：

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将栖息地连通性对复合种群持久性的相对重要性进行情境化：一种极度濒危鱼类的案例研究

1. 本地种群特征和栖息地连通性对复合种群的持久性有重要影响；然而，每一种的相对重要性可能因生态环境而异，因此很难将一般的“经验法则”应用于保护行动。在栖息地连接受到限制的树突网络中尤其如此。
2. 通过构建一个专门考虑目标物种独特特征和生态系统的复合种群模型，可以更准确地评估当地种群特征和栖息地连通性对复合种群持久性的相对影响。
3. 这种建模方法用于改善坎特伯雷泥鱼 (kо̄waro Neochanna burrowsius ) 的保护成果，这是一种极度濒危且知之甚少的物种，是新西兰坎特伯雷平原的特有种。N. burrowsius 的空间结构复合种群模型用于研究栖息地斑块连通性、受栖息地质量限制的种群增长率（r_条件）和复合种群持久性之间的关系。
4. N. burrowsius 元种群持久性在r_条件增加的_情况下增加最强烈，但栖息地连接性的增加也产生了积极影响（高度连接网络的 94% 元种群持久性与低连接网络的 39% 元种群持久性，其中r_条件 = 1.3）。
5. 尽管在本案例研究中，人口增长率比栖息地连通性的增加更具影响力，但对于有效地为树突网络中的元群种群分配保护资源而言，两者都非常重要，这取决于管理者可以有效操纵哪些因素来增强元群种群的持久性。