Location of the study region and sampling sites (land mosaics) used to investigate water vole occupancy according to patch-network and matrix characteristics.

Examples of four land mosaics with different patch-network and matrix characteristics are also presented. Triangles, circles and squares represent sampling sites surveyed respectively in 2006 (n = 20), 2007 (n = 37), and 2008 (n = 18). Colours indicate the sampling season of surveys: dry season (black, n = 38) and wet season (grey, n = 37) (see text for details).