Satellite based land use and landscape complexity indices as predictors for regional plant species diversity

It is known that habitats composed of spatially heterogeneous abiotic conditions provide a great diversity of potentially suitable niches for plant species. The scientific premises of landscape ecology suggest that, at a higher spatial level, also the composition and structure of the landscape mosaic, influences biotic processes and hence species richness. In this exploratory study we investigated if plant species diversity could be correlated with landscape structure and complexity indices which were based on Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite imagery. Plant species data were derived from the 4 km×4 km resolution Flora Database of Flanders (i.e. northern Belgium). Plant species number within the 4 km×4 km grid cells was positively correlated with most of the landscape diversity indices whereas landscape fragmentation indices only affected the group of the threatened species. We found a gradient of increasing species richness beginning from the rural areas of Flanders over the suburban towards the urban areas. This gradient was mostly due to the higher number of alien plant species, warmth indicators and threatened species in urbanised areas. We conclude that, at least in the studied region, the effects of landscape changes on plant species diversity can be monitored and predicted on a large scale and over long periods of time using land cover data. Bottleneck in this kind of analyses remains the reliability of the land cover data and the availability and reliability of the biological data.     

Analyzing public preferences concerning woodland development in rural landscapes in Scotland

This paper considers the decision-making aspects of a closer integration of woodlands with other land uses in rural landscapes in Scotland regarding their socio-economic components and in view of positive implications, which woodlands have for the environment. The research follows a semi-qualitative route and applies a quantitative method of Q-analysis to identify public attitudes towards landscapes by integrating ecological, socio-economic and aesthetic criteria. Some innovative perspectives on the areas of consensus and conflict between people, concerning the future development of rural areas are put forward. The research categorizes landscape preferences and preferences for woodlands, and shows that these preferences are complex. It arrives at a number of conclusions about the role of woodlands in landscape changes, adds to practical suggestions on policy and management decisions for transforming landscapes towards sustainability and suggests that woodland has an important role to play in the integration of aesthetic, ecological and socio-economic components in landscape management in Scotland.     

Local and landscape scale variables impact parasitoid assemblages across an urbanization gradient

Urbanization is a major driver of land cover change worldwide, yet little is known about how urbanization affects beneficial arthropod communities. This study examined how local and landscape scale variables associated with urbanization influenced parasitic Hymenoptera abundance and diversity in residential and commercial properties along a rural to urban landscape gradient in Wisconsin. At a landscape scale, 300 m surrounding sites, land cover percentages were calculated for five cover classes: impervious cover, forest, grassland, agriculture, and urban green space. In addition, habitat diversity (Simpson's index) was calculated for the landscape surrounding study sites. At a local scale (within the boundaries of an individual property), flower diversity, flower area, tree density, and hardscape were measured and related to parasitoid abundance and diversity. During 2006 and 2007, parasitoids were sampled twice a month June-August using yellow sticky cards. Parasitoid abundance was a positive function of flower diversity, a local scale variable. The positive relationship between parasitoid abundance and flower diversity only occurred in areas containing high to moderate levels of urban development, suggesting parasitoids locally benefited from the increased availability of floral resources in urban but not rural sites. Parasitoid diversity decreased as impervious cover increased in the surrounding landscape. Parasitoid diversity decreased by approximately 10% in highly urbanized sites relative to rural sites, a pattern driven by several parasitoid families not detected in urban sites. These results suggest conservation strategies that focus on landscape variables at multiple scales can play an integral role in preserving beneficial arthropods across urban landscapes.     

Semi-natural grassland continuity, long-term land-use change and plant species richness in an agricultural landscape on Öland, Sweden

The study characterizes historical land-use change and the development of semi-natural grassland habitats, over 274 years, within a mosaic agricultural landscape (22 km²) on the island of Öland (Sweden). We also explore the relationship between previous land-use, habitat continuity and present-day vascular plant species richness in grassland patches. Land-cover maps, based on cadastral maps and aerial photographs, were produced for six time-periods between 1723/1733 and 1994/1997. In 1723/1733, the landscape was dominated by grasslands, with arable land surrounding the villages. The grassland area decreased throughout the study period and grassland patches became progressively more fragmented. Present-day grasslands represent 18% of the grassland area in 1723/1733. The land-use structure of the early 18th century is still evident in the modern landscape. The majority of the present-day grasslands are situated on former common grazing land and have had a continuity of at least 274 years: the remaining grasslands are younger and developed during the 20th century on arable or forested land. The proportion of plant species that depend on grazing and are characteristic of semi-natural grasslands significantly reflects the continuity and previous land-use of grassland sites. The study illustrates the way in which information on historical land-use and habitat continuity can help to explain the structuring of plant assemblages in semi-natural grasslands within the modern landscape.     

Changes in the landscape structure of the Nagara River Basin, central Japan

A watershed is a structural and functional unit of a landscape consisting of various environments and sustaining a certain biodiversity. Conservation of watershed environments is important at both the regional and the national level. As a basis for conservation management, sufficient information about landscape structure should be provided for the whole terrestrial area of a watershed. In the present study, we reconstructed the former landscape structure and elucidated the changes in land use patterns during a period of about 80 years after 1900 (late Meiji era) in the Nagara River Basin, central Japan. We used three sets of maps for the analyses: old and modern topographical maps made in 1909, 1971 and 1992 by the Geographical Agency. Each map (ca. 18 km×22 km) was divided into 400 (20×20) grid cells, according to latitude and longitude. The dimension of each grid cell was about 1 km² (0.9 km×1.1 km). In each grid cell, all land-cover types were inventoried and the most dominant one was determined to be the dominant land-cover. The relative dominance (RD), frequency (FQ) and similarity index (SI) were calculated for analyses. The relative dominance of broad-leaved forest decreased, whereas those of conifer forest and residential areas increased throughout the whole study area during the 80-year period. However, regional differences in landscape change were found. In the upriver area, the relative dominance of broad-leaved forest decreased, while that of conifer forest increased. In the mid-river area, the relative dominance of conifer forest decreased, while that of broad-leaved forest increased. In the present study, we revealed the basic regional differences in landscape structure and their changes in the Nagara River Basin. Land use history with reference to socio-economics should be considered as an important factor affecting the present landscape structure.     

乡村生态景观识别与生境网络优化——以南京市江宁区为例

【目的】三生融合是乡村景观空间的基本格局，识别生态格局、优化生境网络是保护生物多样性、修复乡村生态环境的基本途径。【方法】基于土地覆被类型遥感解译，识别乡村三生空间及生境类型分布；依托MSPA方法识别生态斑块，采用InVEST模型评价斑块的生境质量，并结合三生空间类型提取生态源地；综合运用ArcGIS的栅格计算器及Linkage Mapper工具箱进行生态廊道、夹点、障碍点的识别。【结果】进一步整合出江宁区四片区-五组团-多廊道-多节点的多层级复合式生境网络格局，将其作为构建区域乡村生态本底的基础。【结论】在尊重三生空间融合的前提下，基于定量及空间定位与定性研究，初步形成乡村生境优化的路径。     

2002—2017年厦门市景观格局与 热环境的时空耦合关系

基于2002、2007、2012、2017年4期Landsat遥感影像,应用景观生态学和统计分析相结合的方法,探讨了厦门景观格局对热环境的影响作用及其变化规律。结果表明,2002—2017年,厦门市相对地表温度(Relative Land Surface Temperature,RLST)呈上升趋势,城区的热岛效应逐步凸显;RLST较高的区域多为耕地、建设用地,RLST较低的区域多为绿地、水体;在类型层面,绿地的景观类型比例、最大斑块指数、聚集度指数、平均斑块面积、形状指数与相对地表温度呈负相关,斑块密度、边缘密度与RLST呈正相关。耕地、建设用地的景观指数与RLST均呈正相关;在景观层面,景观分割指数、形状指数、斑块密度、边缘密度、香浓均匀度指数与RLST呈正相关;景观优势度大、聚集度高的景观类型,如耕地、绿地、建设用地对RLST影响显著。随着城区的扩张与耕地的减少,建设用地景观格局对RLST的影响逐渐加强,而耕地景观格局对RLST的影响不断减弱;景观层面的景观格局对RLST的影响作用与不同景观类型总体的结构组分及空间构型有关。随着景观结构趋于复杂,景观层面的景观格局对RLST的影响逐渐增强。     

基于Maxent模型的深圳湾鸟类热点生境 判别及修复研究

鸟类热点生境判别对于掌握鸟类空间分布格局、 识别保护空缺及指引生境修复策略具有科学价值。采用最大 熵模型确定深圳湾2000与2020年的鸟类热点生境,分析鸟 类生境的变化及其与景观格局演变的关系。结果表明：1)各 环境因子对不同生态类群的鸟类影响程度各不相同,除鸣禽 以外水源距离对其他类群鸟类的影响较大,其次为高程和 年降水量;2)2020年深圳湾的鸟类热点生境占总研究区的 3%(22km2),呈现从自然保护区向城市内陆逐渐减少的趋 势,存在2km2的保护空缺;3)20年间深圳湾鸟类的热点生 境减少了7%,热点生境下降的地区主要集中在深圳湾沿海滩 涂、香港山贝河与屯门河流域中,且猛禽与游禽的生境退化最 为严重;4)鸟类热点生境面积随斑块的数量、密度、形状与用 地类型等景观指数的增加而降低,景观破碎化和景观连通性降 低是导致鸟类生境退化的主要原因。研究为深圳湾鸟类多样性 保护及生境修复提供了参考,对粤港澳大湾区协同生态保护与 城市建设的关系具有重要意义。     

Transition of the satoyama landscape in the urban fringe of the Tokyo metropolitan area from 1880 to 2001

An explicit understanding of past landscapes is a basic and important issue, which enables deeper understanding of current landscapes in a longer context and gives useful suggestion to today's landscape planning. In this paper, transition of the traditional Japanese agricultural landscape (satoyama landscape) over a relatively long temporal scale (1880–2001), and its inherent dynamics in each of four socioeconomically based time periods in two topographically different areas around the Tokyo metropolitan area was studied. Information derived from historical records and interviews was used to differentiate four socioeconomic periods, and to support and explain the results of the analysis. Old maps and aerial photographs were used to create land use maps, which were analyzed using GIS. The results illustrated drastic landscape change from agricultural to urban landscape, with unique land use and transition patterns in each study area. A large part of both study areas was affected by bi-directional conversion between woodlands and crop fields in the early part of the study period, in the form of shifting agriculture. Our results also showed that the landscapes are becoming less dynamic and it may suggest reconsideration for land use planning, which will lead to more stabilized landscapes.     

Transition of the satoyama landscape in the urban fringe of the Tokyo metropolitan area from 1880 to 2001

An explicit understanding of past landscapes is a basic and important issue, which enables deeper understanding of current landscapes in a longer context and gives useful suggestion to today's landscape planning. In this paper, transition of the traditional Japanese agricultural landscape (satoyama landscape) over a relatively long temporal scale (1880–2001), and its inherent dynamics in each of four socioeconomically based time periods in two topographically different areas around the Tokyo metropolitan area was studied. Information derived from historical records and interviews was used to differentiate four socioeconomic periods, and to support and explain the results of the analysis. Old maps and aerial photographs were used to create land use maps, which were analyzed using GIS. The results illustrated drastic landscape change from agricultural to urban landscape, with unique land use and transition patterns in each study area. A large part of both study areas was affected by bi-directional conversion between woodlands and crop fields in the early part of the study period, in the form of shifting agriculture. Our results also showed that the landscapes are becoming less dynamic and it may suggest reconsideration for land use planning, which will lead to more stabilized landscapes.     

Temporary and Mobile Protected Areas for the Conservation of a Palm Tree Landscape in Uruguay

The Butia capitata woodlands in southeastern Uruguay have a density and dimension that makes them unique in the world. This complex ecosystem, situated in prairie and grasslands, is dominated by Butia capitata palms and associated with a low herb stratum, some shrubs and trees, seasonal flooded areas and small ponds. The presence of cattle has inhibited recruitment for approximately 300 years, and the palm trees are therefore typically of this age. To date, no action has been taken to protect this magnificent landscape, which is under risk of disappearing due to the senescence of the palm trees and lack of recruitment. The pros and cons of using a novel system of temporary and mobile protected areas for landscape conservation are explored. It is concluded that temporary and mobile protected areas should be considered as a tool in a region where almost 100% of the land is privately owned, and the state has very limited funds.     

Temporary and Mobile Protected Areas for the Conservation of a Palm Tree Landscape in Uruguay

The Butia capitata woodlands in southeastern Uruguay have a density and dimension that makes them unique in the world. This complex ecosystem, situated in prairie and grasslands, is dominated by Butia capitata palms and associated with a low herb stratum, some shrubs and trees, seasonal flooded areas and small ponds. The presence of cattle has inhibited recruitment for approximately 300 years, and the palm trees are therefore typically of this age. To date, no action has been taken to protect this magnificent landscape, which is under risk of disappearing due to the senescence of the palm trees and lack of recruitment. The pros and cons of using a novel system of temporary and mobile protected areas for landscape conservation are explored. It is concluded that temporary and mobile protected areas should be considered as a tool in a region where almost 100% of the land is privately owned, and the state has very limited funds.     

Spatiotemporal changes of landscape pattern in response to urbanization

The combined method of urban gradient analysis and landscape metrics in analyzing the changes of landscape pattern has been widely applied since its introduction by Luck and Wu (2002). In order to address the temporal dynamics of landscape change, this study integrated transect analysis with temporal trend analysis and specifically discussed how changes of residential pattern are related to forms of urban growth. Using Dane County, Wisconsin, USA as an example, a 60 km transect passing through the City of Madison was set up to represent a continuum of rural-urban-rural landscapes. Changes of landscape pattern from 1968 to 2000 were analyzed by FRAGSTATS with four metrics—percentage of landscape (PLAND), Shannon's evenness index (SHEI), patch density (PD), and mean patch size (MPS). Findings from metric analyses revealed that the degree of land-use diversity and landscape fragmentation is positively related to the degree of urbanization.Specifically, at the class-level, residential land-use type shows the strongest positive relationship to the degree of urbanization in all of the class-level metrics adopted. Changes in residential land-use pattern were further analyzed with the number of housing units. The analyses revealed that there are different patterns of residential development along the transect in the study area—with the core urban area expanding outward in a contiguous manner while the rural areas have scattered development. This study demonstrated the additional insights into landscape change by integrating the spatial and the temporal perspectives and by targeting the forms of residential developments.     

“Wilderness”: what it means when it becomes a reality—a case study from the southwestern Alps

Within the framework of the transdisciplinary research project “Changes in alpine landscapes resulting from a decline in land use in the Val Grande National Park and Strona Valley—from rural landscape to wilderness”, the impacts of uncontrolled nature development on the landscape’s structural diversity, plant species richness, as well as on the local population and tourists were investigated. The study area was the community of Premosello Chiovenda in the Val Grande National Park—“Italy’s largest wilderness area”. In order to achieve reliable results, methods for conducting historical landscape analysis, ecological inventories and empirical–social research were combined. As a result of land abandonment, the floristic species richness is decreasing in higher successional stages, and depending on the altitude, the structural diversity of the landscape is changing. Wildfires in the successional communities pose threats to the neighbouring villages. Nevertheless, many rural and cultural landscape characteristics persist, and past uses continue to have a significant impact on future landscape development. The main impacts on the inhabitants are psychological and economic in nature. Around the villages, they regard the effects of abandonment in a very negative light. Visitors of the area judge the consequences of land abandonment differently. While they regard the resulting landscape’s wildness positively, they also regret the cultural losses suffered by rural communities. If the abandoning processes continue, rural landscape and its associated habitats will be lost. Despite this, new habitats, such as those resulting from ecosystem dynamics, will form. The evolving landscape is not, however, hospitable as a living space for man. The characteristics intrinsic to the landscape in the absence of its productive use and maintenance render it uninhabitable. A reasonable scenario for Premosello Chiovenda should provide the coexistence of dynamic, “wild” areas, free from further agri- or silvicultural uses and areas of cultural importance, where traditional and innovative forms of land use should be encouraged and developed. In the future, decision-makers should be aware of the positive and negative aspects of a large-scale rewilding, and all stakeholders, especially the affected local communities, should be included in any decision making process that concerns the establishment of protected areas which are left to develop without human control.     

Desertification? Northern Ethiopia re-photographed after 140 years

A collection of sepia photographs, taken during Great Britain's military expedition to Abyssinia in 1868, are the oldest landscape photographs from northern Ethiopia, and have been used to compare the status of vegetation and land management 140 years ago with that of contemporary times. Thirteen repeat landscape photographs, taken during the dry seasons of 1868 and 2008, were analyzed for various environmental indicators and show a significant improvement of vegetation cover. New eucalypt woodlands, introduced since the 1950s are visible and have provided a valuable alternative for house construction and fuel-wood, but more importantly there has also been locally important natural regeneration of indigenous trees and shrubs. The situation in respect to soil and water conservation measures in farmlands has also improved. According to both historical information and measured climatic data, rainfall conditions around 1868 and in the late 19th century were similar to those of the late 20th/early 21st century. Furthermore, despite a ten-fold increase in population density, land rehabilitation has been accomplished over extensive areas by large-scale implementation of reforestation and terracing activities, especially in the last two decades. In some cases repeat photography shows however that riparian vegetation has been washed away. This is related to river widening in recent degradation periods, particularly in the 1970s-1980s. More recently, riverbeds have become stabilized, and indicate a decreased runoff response. Environmental recovery programmes could not heal all scars, but this study shows that overall there has been a remarkable recovery of vegetation and also improved soil protection over the last 140 years, thereby invalidating hypotheses of the irreversibility of land degradation in semi-arid areas. In a highly degraded environment with high pressure on the land, rural communities were left with no alternative but to improve land husbandry: in northern Ethiopia such interventions have been demonstrably successful.     

Do landscape factors affect brownfield carabid assemblages?

The carabid fauna of 28 derelict sites in the West Midlands (England) were sampled over the course of one growing season (April-October, 1999). The study aimed to investigate the relationship between carabid assemblages and five measures of landscape structure pertinent to derelict habitat. At each site measurements of landscape features pertinent to derelict habitat were made: (i) the proximity of habitat corridors; (ii) the density of surrounding derelict land; (iii) the distance between the site and the rural fringe; and (iv) the size of the site. Concurrent surveys of the soil characteristics, vegetation type, and land use history were conducted. The data were analysed using a combination of ordination (DCA, RDA), variance partitioning (using pRDA) and binary linear regression. The results suggest that: 1. There is very little evidence that the carabid assemblages of derelict sites were affected by landscape structure, with assemblages instead being principally related to within-site habitat variables, such as site age (since last disturbance), substrate type and vegetation community. 2. No evidence was found to support the hypothesis that sites away from railway corridors are impoverished in their carabid fauna than sites on corridors. 3. There are some suggestions from this study that rarer and non-flying specialist species may be affected by isolation, taking longer to reach sites. We infer from this that older sites with retarded succession, and sites in higher densities of surrounding derelict land may eventually become more species rich and that these sites may be important for maintaining populations of rarer and flightless species. 4. Conservation efforts to maintain populations of these species should focus principally on habitat quality issues, such as maintaining early successional habitats that have a diversity of seed producing annuals and perennial plants and enhancing substrate variability rather than landscape issues.     

The pattern of landscape patches and invasion of naturalized plants in developed areas of urban Seoul

Fragmented developed areas usually support source-sink patches for invasive organisms in urban landscapes. Invasive plants that have a different origin than the spreading source have an important role in artificial landscape restoration in degraded areas. However, many alien plant species have invaded the original habitat or ecosystem of native plants; sequentially their fast growing populations colonize neighboring ecosystems easily. Biological contamination sometimes occurs, unbalancing biodiversity in the natural landscape system. Therefore, long-term monitoring for dynamic communities after restoration in urban areas is indispensable for establishing a strategy for sustainable urban management. Under this principle we have examined the spreading of representative naturalized plant species according to recent land use changes. In this study, we have selected two representative invasive plants, Robinia pseudoacacia and Eupatorium rugosum. Their distribution pattern and patch characteristics of population were identified by the data of Seoul Biotope Map and a field survey. As a result of GIS-aided analysis of landscape patches, these two species often occurred in the same place. Concentration patterns of population distribution were found in forest edges disturbed by development of roads and human settlement. Especially, Eupatorium rugosum had extended to inner forest patches although the individuals were scattered. Distribution patterns of those species were partly related to landscape indices such as patch size and shape of the forest edge.     

多尺度绿地景观格局对滞蓄能力的影响研究

城市绿地系统作为构建城市海绵系统中的重要组成要素,通过优化绿地景观格局以提升城市整体滞蓄能力的方式更符合可持续发展的要求.以沈阳市三环内建成区为研究范围,利用景观格局指数方法,对城区、场地2个研究尺度的绿地景观格局进行评价,并利用相关性分析与回归分析等数理统计方法对2个研究尺度的绿地景观格局与内涝风险之间的关系进行分析...     

Landscape influence on recent rural migration in the U.S.

This study of recent rural (nonmetropolitan) migration in the U.S. finds that, consistent with research on landscape preferences, people have been most drawn to areas with a mix of forest and open land, water area, topographical variation, and relatively little cropland. A simultaneous equation model of 1990–2000 change in jobs and net migration indicates that landscape features influenced migration directly, not through effects on employment. An inordinate rise in housing values in the most highly scenic areas in 1990–2000 was associated with an exceptional slowing of migration to those areas in 2000–2005, an indication that housing supply constraints such as land use regulation may now be dampening the ties between landscape preferences and migration in rural areas. The study findings on current habitat selection are particularly interesting given the frequent conjecture that landscape preferences are adaptive, reflecting the most suitable habitats for early man.     

Settlement models, land use and visibility in rural landscapes: Two case studies in Greece

Settlement models and geographical site analysis contribute to the understanding of the ecological functioning of the landscape. In assessing land qualities, there is an increasing interest to include visibility analysis. The hypothesis is that settlements traditionally locate on places where the more fertile and intensively used grounds can easily be controlled. This can be tested in traditional landscapes where the initial settlement pattern and associated visibility are not very disturbed. This paper analyses two cases of traditional settlements in Greece, on the island of Paros (Cyclades) and on the Lassithi plain (Crete), which are exemplary for two distinct settlement models, respectively the island and the basin model. The relationship between settlement pattern, land use zoning and landscape visibility is analysed using a geographical information system (GIS). Cumulative and single viewshed analysis are performed for all settlements in the study areas using different distance zones, one in the visible proximity up to 1.2 km and one more extended in the landscape up to 4.7 km. Both cases show great degree of visual control of the territory. Intensively used land is significantly more visible. The relationship between visibility and land use varies however with the viewing distance and settlement model. Visibility is a factor explaining the settlement pattern.