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Landscape Ecology > EXAM 2 > Flashcards

EXAM 2 Flashcards

1
Q

why landscape pattern analysis

A
  • understanding relationship between patterns (ecological processes)
  • monitor changes
  • informs people of the status of the landscape
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2
Q

how do scale and impact landscape metrics

A
  • trade off between resolution, extent, and computational demands
  • number of cells and complexity of landscape increases
  • changing or comparing the spatial extent can have major effect on measures of landscape composition and configuration
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3
Q

what are some ways in which changes in landscape structure impact ecological function

A
  • habitat fragmentation (ex: isolated habitats)
  • connectivity(ex: movement of species)
  • edge effects (ex: increases predation, changes in vegetation)
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4
Q

misuses of landscape ecology metrics

A
  • widespread availability of landscape analysis software (hard to find a good source)
  • ignoring scaling relationships
  • basic metrics will generally suffice to describe a landscape
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5
Q

what are neutral landscapes

A

highly simplified depictions of spatial variables used to study their behavior and compare against observed or real landscape (ex: cover type, habitat quality, and distances among patches)

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6
Q

what are the uses of neutral landscapes

A
  • standard of comparison (understand the influence of ecology)
  • replication and manipulation of landscape
  • evaluate connectivity or lack thereof through percolation
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7
Q

how does the 4 or 8 neighborhood rule impact landscapes and metrics

A

influence the number of patches, thus the patch structure (size and shape) of the landscape

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8
Q

what happens to some landscape metrics as probability (p) increases

A

the number of patches increases

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9
Q

what is percolation

A

a measure of connectivity

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10
Q

what is a percolation cluster

A

habitat patch that spans the entire extent of landscape

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11
Q

what are some benefits of computational experiments with NLM

A
  • advancement in theoretical landscape ecology
  • predict important properties of real landscapes
  • comparing real-world observations against randomness
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12
Q

what are some shortcomings of NLM

A

results could be misinterpreted or misunderstood

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13
Q

main conclusions drawn from percolation lab

A

certain events in landscapes that are highly connected, can jeopardize the landscape and ultimately cause more harm than good (ex: wildfires)

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14
Q

what is an edge in LE

A

interface between different habitats and associated biota

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15
Q

what is edge effect

A

change in some ecological response as a function of distance to a habitat edge

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16
Q

what are soft and hard edges and why do they matter to LE

A
  • soft edges are easily traversed and more permeable to movement
  • hard edges boundary is rarely traversed because it imposes a barrier (temperature, predation exposure)
17
Q

what is the relationship between edge contrast and species mobility

A

the perception of patch boundaries depends on the degree of contrast between the patch and matrix, ad the relative mobility of the organism

18
Q

different ways in which species respond to edge

A
  • supplementary resources (species that thrive near edges)
  • complementary resources (combination of resources used to adapt to the edge)
  • habitat quality (habitat ability to meet the needs of a species)
19
Q

different definitions of connectivity (habitat, ecological, landscape)

A
  • habitat (how different habitat patches are connected or linked, shows physical structure of landscape and accessibility)
  • ecological (functional relationship and ecological process that occur between habitat patches)
  • landscape (considers arrangement of different habitat types and ecological flows across landscape)
20
Q

what are habitat corridors

A

pathways of habitat that connect larger habitat patches. (ex: rivers, hedgerows, or strips of vegetation)

21
Q

what are stepping stones

A

smaller habitat patches scattered throughout a landscape. Allows species to move progressively from one habitat to another

22
Q

what is the difference between structural and functional connectivity

A
  • structural: physical or spatial arrangement of landscape elements and how they support or hinder movement of organisms
  • functional: the degree which landscape elements facilitate ecological processes (movement of people, gene flow, and flow of energy)
23
Q

examples of ecological connectivity

A
  • migration corridors: specific corridors that connect breeding and feeding grounds
  • riparian zones: along rivers and streams used for movement, habitat, and dispersal of seeds
24
Q

how does metapopulation ecology relates to island biogeography and landscape ecology

A
  • island biogeography: species -area relationship, island isolation, edge effects
  • landscape ecology: fragmentation, connectivity, patch size and shape
25
Q

what are the basic functions of corridors

A

facilitating movement, enhancing connectivity, refuge and habitat, mitigating edge effects

26
Q

what are some of the ecological processes that may be impacted by waller creeks hydrologic/riparian corridor

A
  • water flow and hydrology
  • sediment transport
  • vegetation dynamics
27
Q

transition matrix interpretation (diagonals, off-diagonals, row sums, column sums)

A
  • diagonals: represent probabilities of staying in the same state (no transition)
  • off diagonals: probabilities of transitioning from one state to another
  • row sums: total probability of transitioning from corresponding state to another state
  • column sums: probability of transitioning to another state
28
Q

major properties of NLM (critical threshold, impact of neighborhood rule on critical threshold)

A
  • critical threshold: the level of habitat at which the landscape becomes disconnected
  • impact of neighborhood rule: as rule increases threshold becomes higher because more cells would be connected
29
Q

define and explain one metric for each scale (landscape, class, patch)

A
  • landscape: measures diversity of different landcover types
  • class: total length of an edge in a landscape
  • patch: number of patches within a landscape per unit area
30
Q

what is the meaning of friction or cost in corridor analysis in GIS

A

friction or cost is the least optimal location for someone to take

31
Q

what is the meaning of the corridor in GIS

A

a thin strip of area that can be used to move or relocate

32
Q

how can corridors inform landscape planning

A

determine which corridors provide the least cost of movement, as in the ideal way for an organism to move/relocate, and create parks where the corridors are most prominent

Landscape Ecology (2 decks)

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