Quino checkerspot butterfly

[fred_heath at power-one.com]

        Neil I agree with everything you said, especially that Rudi is 
     certainly not pro-development. The metapopulation system is one reason 
     why Rudi is trying to preserve likely habitats rather than just using 
     a simple test of absence of butterflies in one or two years.
        Unfortunately in S. Calif, developer's money gets most of the local 
     politicians elected and thus they are clearly on the side of 
     development most of the time. They can also make enough noise so that 
     even people in the USF&W Service are gererally careful about issuing 
     edits which might appear unreasonable.    
                                                        ----Fred

Neil Wrote:
     
For those who do not know a metapopulation is a system of colonies within 
patches of habitat which periodically go extinct individaully and are 
recolonised from their neighbours. It is a consequence of the mathematics 
that with virtual certainty some patches will be empty.
The absence of the buttefly from a site at any one point in time is not 
evidence of a site lacking in importance.

     
     It would seem that this is the approach to take,but patches of poorer 
     habitat in the vicinity of good patches should also be protected.
     
I have met Rudi Mattoni. I would not say that he is pro-development.
     
Incidentally the emphasis here in the UK is begining to show signs of going 
towards "Sustainable Development". i.e Development which does not deprive 
future generations of resources.