A new method to solve the fully connected Reserve Network Design Problem

In selecting sites for conservation purposes connectivity of habitat is important for allowing species to move freely within a protected area. The aim of the Reserve Network Design Problem is to choose a network of contiguous sites which maximises some conservation objective subject to various constraints. The problem has been solved using both heuristic and exact methods. Heuristic methods can handle much larger problems than exact methods but cannot guarantee an optimal solution. Improvements in both computer power and optimisation algorithms have increased the attractiveness of exact methods. The aim of this work is to formulate an improved algorithm for solving the Reserve Network Design Problem.

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