Landscape and Urban Planning 71 (2005) 17–28 Targeting sites for habitat creation: an investigation into alternative scenarios John T. Lee * , Stewart Thompson Spatial Ecology & Landuse Unit (SELU), School of Biological and Molecular Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gypsy Lane, 0X3 0BP Oxford, UK Received 4 September 2002; received in revised form 3 April 2003; accepted 14 January 2004 Abstract To date, habitat expansion in the United Kingdom has been on a case-by-case basis, without consideration of the cur- rent state, in terms of biodiversity, or the future sustainability of the habitat reserve. It was hypothesised that spatially targeted habitat expansion is beneficial for habitat and species’ persistence. Five spatially explicit scenarios for new habi- tat creation were devised, each with a different conservation aim: increase habitat patch size, reduce patch perimeter-area ratio, decrease habitat patch isolation, increase biodiversity and ensure sustainability. For beech woodlands in part of the Chilterns Natural Area, UK, we investigated changes to six landscape metrics (total area (TA), patch density (PD), largest patch index (LPI), mean patch size (MPS), mean nearest-neighbour distance (MNN) and mean shape index (MSI)) as a result of the addition of new habitat, in accordance with the level of increase indicated in the United Kingdom’s Habitat Action Plan for beech woodland. Significant differences were found between the landscape metrics produced by spatially targeting new habitat and those produced by randomly adding new habitat. Random habitat addition per- formed poorly when compared with spatially explicit habitat addition even with relatively modest habitat expansion targets. We conclude that spatial targeting of habitat creation can counter the adverse effects of habitat fragmentation. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Spatially explicit targeting; Woodland expansion; GIS; UK Habitat Action Plan 1. Introduction The European Union’s Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (hereafter termed the ‘Habitats Directive’—EEC, 1992) requires each member state to conserve and enhance the distribution of key habi- tats and species (those listed in Annex I and II of * Corresponding author. Tel.: +44-1865-483269; fax: +44-1865-483242. E-mail address: jlee@brookes.ac.uk (J.T. Lee). the Habitats Directive) in such a way as to contribute positively to a pan European network (i.e. Natura, 2000). The United Kingdom responded to this and to the Convention on Biological Diversity (Convention on Biodiversity, 1992) with the formulation of Habitat and Species Action Plans (HAPs and SAPs) contain- ing objectives and (subsequently) cost estimates for national and local nature conservation. For exam- ple, under the enhancement measures of the lowland beech and yew woodland Habitat Action Plan, the UK is committed to restoring to a favourable state 1500 ha of existing lowland beech and yew woodland 0169-2046/$20.00 © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2004.01.004