A Regional Strategy for Reserve Design and Placement Based on an Analysis of Rare and Endangered Species' Distribution Patterns

A reserve design strategy was developed for the southern Appalachian region in the United States. The principles for this strategy were derived from analyses of available rare and endangered vascular plant observations and extant topographic heterogeneity patterns. Computer analyses of bounded areas simulating nature reserves demonstrated that area, elevational diversity and slope diversity are important predictors of rare vascular plant species richness. Analysis of the accumulation pattern of new species observations suggested that several unrecorded rare and endangered vascular plant species occur in the region. A strategy is proposed for the selection andplacement of nature reserves, conformable to particular biogeographic regions. Our scientific understanding of the dynamic processes governing insularity is too incomplete for incorporation into current regional conservation planning. A model of land purchase costs was compared in terms of expense per species acquired for reserves of different sizes and shapes. Economic considerations need to be integrated with biological conservation concerns to achieve the most tractable strategy. * Present address: Geographisches Institut, University of ZiJrich-lrchel, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Ziirich, Switzerland. 255 Biol. Conserv. 0006-3207/87/$03"50 © Elsevier Applied Science Publishers Ltd, England, 1987. Printed in Great Britain 256 RonaM L Miller, Susan P. Bratton, Peter S. White