Landscape position and spatial patterns in the distribution of land use within the southern Appalachian Mountains

Abstract

Understanding the forces that influence the distribution of land use and land-use change (LUC) is an essential step in developing effective strategies for managing these issues. We examined the influence of landscape position on spatial patterns in land-use distribution within the Little Tennessee River Basin (LTRB) of the southern Appalachian Mountains. We show that landscape position, defined with respect to both natural and anthropogenic spatial variables, provides for the identification of statistically significant differences in the distribution of common forms of land use in the study region. Using the same variables, significant differences in the landscape positions subject to land-use change in the LTRB are also examined. These results suggest landscape position exerts a strong influence on the distribution of different forms of land use and the likeliness of given area undergoing LUC. The approach presented here, of considering land use as a function of landscape position that responds to both natural and anthropogenic forces, may prove useful in aiding the development of future strategies to address the consequences of land use in many regions.