MORE | Fall 2018

Mathematical Programming Models and Algorithms for Landscape Connectivity and Compactness in Conservation Planning

Landscape connectivity and compactness are vital characteristics for the effective functionality of conservation reserves. Conservation of species is an important activity, because urbanization is leading to land encroachment, which affects the habitat of species, resulting in the endangerment of the species. This research deals with building an optimization model to identify patches to protect while enforcing connectivity and compactness. This research focuses on developing an alternative metric of measurement for compactness to serve the purpose of conservation reserves. The research outcomes can be used to study the existing models, compactness metrics, and compare and categorize them based on scenarios/requirements.