The concept of meta-ecosystem has been paid attention in recent years, which integrates a set of ecosystems interconnected by movement of organisms or materials. Meta-ecosystems have hierarchical structures, comprising of connections between adjacent ecosystems of different habitats and those between distant ecosystems of similar habitats via dispersal. Meta-ecosystem concept was developed mainly by ecosystem ecology, but it should be applied for a variety of metapopulation ecology, particularly for organisms exhibiting ontogenetic habitat shifts.
　We targeted the salamander Hynobius tokyoensis that habits small mountain streams. At the local scale, we evaluated habitat quality for both of larval and adult salamanders considering resource-based connection. At the regional scale, we evaluated habitat connectivity via dispersal using circuit theory that assumes random movement in heterogeneous landscapes.
　As a result, deciduous forests are considered to be suitable for both larval and adult salamanders; deciduous forests appear to enhance water temperature and prey abundance in the larval period. At the regional scale, forest continuity appears to increase dispersal between streams and raise population size.  Thus, changing forest environments would have negative influence on the population of the salamander at both of local and regional scales.