1. Define a landscape. What is the focus of Landscape Ecology. Notes

2. Discuss the role of spatial and temporal scale in affecting landscape composition, processes, classification….use an example. Notes

3. Describe the major categories of processes affecting landscapes (physical, biological, human) and the scale(s) at which they are most appropriately studied. Notes

4. Given a hypothetical (or actual) landscape and several types of data about it, be able to develop and explain a basic land classification scheme which reflects ecology, processes etc. to the extent possible. Labs

5. Explain are the major effects of landscape composition, fragmentation, spatial pattern on the “ecology” of plants and animals using this landscape? TEXT Ch. 2.9, 4, 5

6. How do we quantify landscape pattern, composition etc. and how might scale and sample design impact this? Labs, Articles.

Chapter 44.2.1: Disturbance

4.2.3: Human disturbance

4.2.4. Gaps in forests

4.2.6: Fire

4.2.7, 4.2.8: Biotic factors

4.3: Fragmentation and it’s efects

4.4: Connectivity

Factors affecting ecological succession

Fragmentation EffectsSpecies Composition

Predation

Edge effects:

Animal movement

altered patterns

changes in home range

Metapopulation and source-sink dynamics may occur

Connectivity: Do corridors work?

Metapopulation dynamics:

Bear

Bird

Turtle

Frog

Bat

Beetle

Flower

Quantifying Landscape Pattern

Why is it important?

We need to understand the effects on ecological processes

Need to inform conservation management as best we can

However…..

MUCH easier to develop and apply various classifications and pattern indices than it is to relate these to ecology

So…..

The classification system/scale used becomes VERY important

Proportion

Diversity

Dominance

Connectivity

Adjacency

Patch Area/Perimeter

Area weighted patch size

Fractals

What aspects of ecology should these reveal?

What do we actually measure to assess this?

No strict rules on the use of these indices.

All are VERY influenced by the land classification scheme.

No strict rules on a classification system except that it needs to reflect hierarchical relations and ecology as much as possible

Diversity, Dominance, Evenness—a variety of numeric indices (i.e. 0-1) which characterize the relative influence of various patch types in a given landscape. Also very influenced by the composition of a landcover map.

Proportion– Amount of various landcover features—frequently used in predictive models such as habitat studies—will vary greatly depending on classification system used.

Area-weighted patch size—compensates for the dominance of large patches when calculating mean patch sizes—commonly used in GIS to estimate various measures of habitat quality.

Patch Area and Perimeter--indices focusing usually on a given cover types but also for the entire landscape. Designed to quantify not just the amounts but the distribution of these features in a landscape (i.e. a riparian strip of forest may have the same area but differ markedly in E/I .

Proximity/Adjacency—measures to quantify general distance between patches

Complexity (i.e. fractals), Shape indices:

Composition and Configuration

Connectivity--attempt to indicate the ease of movement among patches—ideally you would quantify movement.

4. Given a hypothetical (or actual) landscape and several types of data about it, be able to develop and explain a basic land classification scheme which reflects ecology, processes etc. to the extent possible. Labs

Final Comments

Indices provide a potential way of boiling down very complex processes

We need a convenient way to characterize landscapes

Landcover classification, scale, grain, extent etc. all can be very influential

Focus on ecology and as few indices as necessary

Use appropriate sampling and statistical analyses to determine how to characterize your landscape and to make comparisons between indices and processes of interest.