Exam 1 Flashcards
European landscape ecology
- more holistic and human-centered perspective
- cultural landscape
North American landscape ecology
- more ecological
- spatially explicit (mapped)
- more quantitative
- modeling
spatially heterogeneous
area whose spatial extent varies depending on the organisms or processes of interest
landscape is related to land use
composite of features and elements (fields, forests, deserts, and water bodies)
composition
what and how much is present of each habitat or land cover type
configuration
the spatial arrangement of those elements across the landscape; the spatial structure or path structure
landscape structure
diversity and spatial arrangement of landscape elements (connectivity, human use)
landscape function
interaction among those spatial elements (flow energy, nutrients, species, genes among habitat patches)
landscape change
how landscape structure and function vary over time (landscapes are dynamic)
why landscape ecology
- widespread ecological impact of humans
- complex ecological consequences of human land use
- understand the past and present to understand the future
Landscapes are…
-heterogenous
- diverse in form and function
- scale dependent
- dynamic/multifunctional
first central concept for landscape ecology
landscape elements differ in habitat quality
second central concept for landscape ecology
patch boundaries influence ecological dynamics both within and among patches
third central concept for landscape ecology
patch context is important
fourth central concept for landscape ecology
connectivity is a key feature of landscape structure
fifth central concept for landscape ecology
spatial patterns and processes are scale dependent
landscape pattern impact…
ecological processes
patch
a surface area that differs from its surroundings (individual element) “blobs”
corridor
linear, connected
matrix
predominant use
edge
inner buffer of patch
landscape elements
patch, corridor, matrix, edge, and mosaic
landscape properties
composition, configuration, connectivity, connectivity, cover type, fragmentation, heterogeneity
mosaic
a collection of patches, corridors, and matrix that display specific properties
temporal grain (or resolution)
frequency or minimum interval over which data is collected (hourly, daily, monthly, annual)
temporal extent
duration of the study (whether over a year a single season or several years)
four key drivers of landscape pattern & change
- abiotic factors
- biotic factors/interactions
-human activity
-disturbances
abiotic factors
climate , landform, soils (geomorphology)
human activity
land use change
disturbances
fire, landslides, hurricanes, floods, among others
mutualism (biotic interactions)
interaction where both or all individuals benefits from the relationship
