Steppingstone areas#
Broader “Criteria class”
Description#
Ecologically suitable patch (typically small in size) that may act to connect larger patches of habitat. Stepping stones may function at two different time scales.
First, at the shortest time scale, they may provide a temporary stopping location for an organism moving through the landscape/seascape.
Second, at the longer time scale, they may provide a breeding location so that an organism and/or its offspring can move to more distant patches (Adapted from de la Peña-Domene and Minor, 2014, DOI: 10.1081/E-ENRL-120047451).