Bender, Darren J.Koenig, Shantel Julene2018-07-122018-07-122018-07-10Koenig, S. J. (2018). Making Movement Matter: Modelling Connectivity with Spatial Interaction Models (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/32356http://hdl.handle.net/1880/107134While the idea of landscape connectivity is conceptually straightforward, practically assessing connectivity is substantially more complicated. Behavioural interactions and the composition and configuration of the landscape ultimately determine an animal’s movement between locations; however, when it comes to modelling connectivity, the comprehensive integration of these key determinants into models is lacking. Interestingly, models used by geographers to model human movement and connectivity are centered on the similar key themes of composition and configuration, but also incorporate the components commonly missing in ecological connectivity models. Specifically, spatial interaction models (SIMs) include variables to describe locational traits and offer a model structure that can account for many of the factors that may influence movement across the landscape. Therefore, the aim of this dissertation was to examine to what extent the SIM framework could be adapted and applied to more fully model landscape connectivity. Using both theoretical and empirical approaches, connectivity modelling using SIMs was explored in several ways. A simulation-based study explored the effect that matrix generalization has on assessments of connectivity at both the landscape and patch scale. As well, the ability of SIMs to model the movement landscape was explored using a simulation model and a case study on Ord’s kangaroo rat, and methods for interpreting and assessing model outputs were developed and presented. Overall, SIMs were successful at assessing connectivity and provided new insights into how connectivity varies across landscape and patch scales. SIM outputs showed that as connectivity models were varied, there were no consistent trends or patterns in the differences in assessments, suggesting that connectivity assessments can be highly sensitive to the landscape representation and the model inputs used. Especially when there is uncertainty in the landscape representation or in understanding how a species interacts with the landscape during movement, uncertainty analysis is required, and SIMs provide a meaningful way to do so. Ultimately, and overall, SIMs proved to be a useful, straightforward, and flexible way to model connectivity, especially in cases that warrant incorporating more information than just distance and patch area.engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.connectivityspatial interaction modelpopulation modelmovementdispersalmatrix heterogeneitypatchy populationslandscape ecologyConservationEcologyEnvironmental Sciencesdoctoral thesis10.11575/PRISM/32356