In this paper we present a novel hybrid algorithm, in which ideas from the genetic algorithm and the GRASP metaheuristic are cooperatively used and intertwined to dynamically adjust a key parameter of the corridor method, i.e., the corridor width, during the search process. In addition, a fine-tuning technique for the corridor method is then presented. The response surface methodology is employ...

Measuring the dispersal of wildlife through landscapes is notoriously difficult. Recently, the categorical least cost path algorithm that integrates population genetic data with species distribution models has been applied to reveal population connectivity. In this study, we use this method to identify the possible dispersal corridors of five plant species (Castanopsis tibetana, Schima superba,...

An overall objective of the REORIENT project is to develop a business case for a new rail service between the Nordic countries and countries in Centraland South Eastern Europe. We developed, conducted, and used information from a survey conducted by the REORIENT project among intermodal freight shippers in countries within the REORIENT Corridor to identify essential factors for attracting freig...

Corridors are frequently proposed to connect patches of habitat that have become isolated due to human-mediated alterations to the landscape. While it is understood that corridors can facilitate dispersal between patches, it remains unknown whether corridors can mitigate the negative genetic effects for entire communities modified by habitat fragmentation. These negative genetic effects, which ...

We study the Minimum-Length Corridor (MLC) problem. Given a rectangular boundary partitioned into rectilinear polygons, the objective is to find a corridor of least total length. A corridor is a set of line segments each of which must lie along the line segments that form the rectangular boundary and/or the boundary of the rectilinear polygons. The corridor is a tree, and must include at least ...

In biodiversity conservation, habitat corridors are assumed to increase landscape-level connectivity and to enhance the viability of otherwise isolated populations. While the role of corridors is supported by empirical evidence, studies have typically been conducted at small spatial scales. Here, we assess the quality and the functionality of a large 95-km long forest corridor connecting two la...

PURPOSE The Minkwitz theorem, which can be proven to apply to the immediate surface surrounding a line of umbilics, states that astigmatism perpendicular to the line changes twice as quickly as the rate of change of power along the line. Our objective is to test how the Minkwitz theorem applies to the design of progressive addition lenses (PALs). METHOD Our primary investigation of the astigm...