Definition landscape ecology is the science of studying and improving the relationships between spatial pattern and ecological processes on a multitude of scales and organizational levels. Habitat fragmentation describes the emergence of discontinuities fragmentation in an organisms preferred environment, causing population fragmentation and ecosystem decay. Landscape ecology caesar kleberg wildlife research institute. Landscapes are spatial mosaics of interacting biophysical and socioeconomic components figure 1.
Landscape ecology is the study of the causes and ecological consequences of spatial pattern in landscapes. Diagram showing the effects of island distance from the mainland and island. Current understanding of landscape ecology wiens 5 foundational concepts in landscape ecology landscape elements differ in quality patch boundaries influence ecological dynamics both within and among patches patch context is important connectivity is a key feature of landscape structure. Patch dynamics is an ecological perspective that the structure, function, and dynamics of ecological systems can be understood through studying their interactive patches. Introduced the term landscape ecology, motivated by aerial photography.
Landscape ecology uses a lens consisting of a matrix, patches, and corridors to study and explain the relationship between ecological processes and the environment. Space graph diagram and structure 2 connection between landscape diagram and process 3 the effect of. Patches and structural components for a landscape ecology jstor. Ecology of wetland ecosystems the national academies press. Metapopulation, in ecology, a regional group of connected populations of a species. The model of ecology not only applied the ecological patch theory and geostatistics method, but also supported by gis and fragstats. Corridors an overview natural resources conservation service nrcs 31 figure 31.
By this time, the concept of landscape ecology is seen in other disciplines. This study developed a comprehensive framework to incorporate landscape ecological principles into the landscape planning and design process, with a focus on the design of new patches in the rural landscape. For example, matrix habitat type or quality can affect the ease of dispersal. Many kinds of wetland ecosystems are found within the united states table 2. Patches and structural components for a landscape ecology. A terrestrial landscape ecology approach to the critical. Landscapes and the ecological processes they support are inherently. Changes in landscape structure and composition in response to humaninduced change will comprise an important component of the course. Luc scenarios building, and their assessment by means of ecological. In this schematic example, coarsegraining applies to individual fires, where. After 1980, important study areas of landscape ecology was started to be publish dramstad et al.
Landscape ecology has been defined in various ways partly because the word landscape means quite different things to people with different scientific and cultural backgrounds. Landscape ecology landscape ecology is the study of the causes and ecological consequences of spatial pattern in landscapes. Landscape ecology has been emerged since 1980 that is useful and important for landuse planners and landscape architects. Just as in other ecological disciplines, a spectrum of views exists as to the relative salience or prominence of the. Landscape ecology is an emerging discipline with a focus on spatial heterogeneity, scale and patterns, and humanenvironment interactions. Landscape architecture is informed by scientific knowledge and aspires to. A general definition of landscape ecology may be the science and art of. Introduction to landscape ecology by kevin mcgarigal disclaimer. Landscape ecology methods in this tutorial will include several of the options provided in the landscape patch analysis tool set in grass gis. In addition to its significance as a theoretical approach, the. The two plans presented here show alternate locations of a new residential subdivision. The breakingup of landscape into smaller patches by anthropogenic and.
Basic terms to define landscape ecology fisgrw 1998. From an ecological perspective, patches represent relatively discrete areas spatial. A schematic representation of a hierarchical and pluralistic view of. Patch dynamics landscape architecture, landscape plans. Landscape ecology, as the name implies, is the study of landscapes. Context dependence of interactions among foundation species. We used a landscape microcosm of oak leaf litter patches to examine the responses of.
Landscape ecology is the study of the interactions between the temporal and spatial. Ppt principles of landscape ecology envs3320 powerpoint. Landscape ecology an overview sciencedirect topics. Evaluation of ecological effect in vegetative planning for. Different kinds of landscapes as spatial mosaics of various patches on a range of scales. Landscape ecology biology encyclopedia body, examples.
The three elements of landscape structure patch, corridor, and matrix are clearly evident in this photograph. Landscape ecology investigates landscape structure and ecological function at a scale that. Introduction landscape ecologists forman and godron suggest that a. As there are various disciplines in this vast field, the research has focused on the disturbance and fragmentation which are most popular concept in landscape ecology. Causes of habitat fragmentation include geological processes that slowly alter the layout of the physical environment suspected of being one of the major causes of speciation, and human activity such as land. Tishendorf and fahrig 2000a point out the weakness of these measures in that higher values of connectivity high immigration, and low search time ironically result from more fragmented landscapes i. Landscape ecology is a field of study that examines spatial variation in the landscape. Landscape ecology definition science of studying the relationships between human development activities and various ecological processes in the environment. These processes include animal movement, the effect of land use and land change on wildlife species, and the expansion of invasive species on native rangeland, amongst others. Patch dynamics, in ecology, a theoretical approach positing that the structure, function, and dynamics of an ecological system can be understood and predicted from an analysis of its smaller interactive spatial components patches. Wiens department of biology and program for ecological studies, colorado state university, fort collins, co 80523 usa over the past decade, landscape ecology has be. The patch analyst augments the process of landscape inventory and analysis.
Patch size, isolation, and matrix effects on biodiversity and. The landscape ecology program is focused on multidisciplinary research aimed at understanding the spatial patterns that drive ecological processes on south texas rangelands. Locate the proposed lshaped subdivision by the lake. Key research topics in landscape ecology include ecological flows in landscape mosaics, land use and land cover change, scaling, relating landscape pattern analysis with ecological processes, and. Landscapes as ecological units with structure and function are composed primarily. Scientists who study landscape ecology can measure things like the connectedness or fragmentation of areas of habitat. Effective planning for biodiversity in cities and towns is increasingly important as urban areas and their human populations grow, both to achieve conservation goals and because ecological communities support services on which humans depend. Landscape patch patterns are often a legacy of many disturbance events. Sourcesink dynamics is a theoretical model used by ecologists to describe how variation in habitat quality may affect the population growth or decline of organisms since quality is likely to vary among patches of habitat, it is important to consider how a low quality patch might affect a population. While there is no specific spatial extent that defines a landscape, most landscape ecologists are interested in large areas ranging from a few square kilometers to entire continents.
Much of landscape ecology has developed around the paradigm of a landscape mosaic consisting of patches of e. Defining the landscape importance of content, scale. It examines all aspects that impact on landscapes including physical or geomorphological factors, biological factors, and social or human factors. These range from small, discrete sites, such as thoreaus bog in massachusetts or four holes swamp in south carolina, to large, spatially complex ones, such as the great dismal swamp in virginia and north carolina or. Rob corry module 2 2 module 1 understanding the biophysical landscape basic principles and ecological bases of landscape ecology 1. Integration of landscape ecology and landscape architecture. A case of phoenix metropolitan landscape by so hyun park a dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree doctor of philosophy approved april 2011 by the graduate supervisory committee. There are so many different types of mathematical models used to explore landscape ecological relationships, that a precise definition of a landscape model is difficult. Landscape ecology the basics of landscape ecology forest. So basically, why the landscape functions the way it does, and how all aspects interact with the land. Highlight importance of landscape definition in resource management planning and analyses. Poudevigne university of rouen, ecology laboratory, upresea 1293, ecodiv research group. This should provide a solid background for the steps involved in using tools from this kit and provide an introduction to landscape ecology metrics.
Thus, regardless of the basis for defining patches, a landscape does not. Under this model, three major landscape elements are typically recognized, and the extent and configuration. Patches differ fundamentally in origin and dynamics, while size, shape, and spatial configuration are also. Principles of landscape ecology envs3320 1 principles of landscape ecology envs3320 instructors dr. Patches are the basic unit of the landscape that change and fluctuate, a process called patch dynamics. Ecological connectivity assessment and urban dimensions. Forman and michel godron landscapes as ecological units with structure and function are composed primarily of patches in a matrix. For a given species, each metapopulation is continually being modified by increases births and immigrations and decreases deaths and emigrations of individuals, as well as by the emergence and dissolution of local populations contained within it. This is a relatively straightforward landscape diagram, in part by virtue of its obviously efficient production.
Studying patterns across space and time landscape ecology is the study of how the parts of an ecosystem relate to one another across space and time. Landscape models are typically of the mathematical kind, although we often construct and use abstract conceptual models to portray landscape relationships. A convenient and popular model for conceptualizing and representing the elements in a categorical map pattern is known as the patch corridormatrix model forman 1995. Patch, a term fundamental to landscape ecology, is defined as a relatively homogeneous area that differs from its surroundings.
From the view of landscape ecology, urbanization is the process in which land usecover landscape changes from natural landscape which is mainly made of water, soil, and vegetation to manmade landscape which is mainly composed of cement, asphalt, chemical materials, and metal, 14. Landscape ecology article about landscape ecology by the. Landscape structure analysis using the landscape patch. Despite a common pool of species, shoreline community composition a varies widely across hydrodynamic stress gradients in new england as a consequence of foundation species interactions shifting from competitive along waveprotected coasts, to facilitative along wavebattered cobble beaches. Patch dynamics, as a term, may also refer to the spatiotemporal changes within and among patches that make up a landscape. Scaling and complexity in landscape ecology ecology. The definitions of landscape ecology are also diverse, although they are not. A framework for landscape ecological design of new patches. As a highly interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary science, landscape ecology integrates biophysical and. Le was to understand the relationship among elements within a landscape, in terms of pattern and process, in a holistic fashion. Landscape ecology provides important frameworks for understanding and conserving urban biodiversity both within cities and considering. Landscapes are composed of elementsthe spatial components that make up the landscape. Patch dynamics, in ecology, a theoretical approach positing that the structure, function, and dynamics of an ecological system can be understood and predicted from an analysis of its smaller interactive spatial components. This is the worse of the two alternatives based on the following four landscape ecology principles.
Patch burning is the purposeful grazing of a section of an landscape or management unit that has been prescribed burned, and then burning another section to move the grazing pressure, thus creating a shifting mosaic on the landscape or management unit figure 3. Understanding landscape structure using landscape metrics. Landscape ecology is very complex and requires interdisciplinary research researchers from multiple disciplines working closely to produces an understanding that integrates across disciplines. Landscape ecology is the science of studying the reactions of biological features under changes in.