The present paper addresses the following typical question of metapopulation management: "What habitat distribution is optimal for metapopulation persistence if a habitat network with a given number and configuration of patches is considered?". By utilizing a generic metapopulation model and performing a special model analysis, rules of thumb for optimum habitat distribution and a general 'Principle of Optimality' are derived. The whole study is based on the application of a formula for the mean lifetime of metapopulations derived in a previous study. Finally, some general conclusions are drawn concerning the potential of using PVA techniques for deriving tools for decision support for conservation management.