Patch Connectivity Research Articles

Monitoring the Effects of the Grain to Green Projects Using Landscape Metrics: A Case Study in Eastern Sichuan, China

Eastern Sichuan is an important ecological barrier in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Based on 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015 Landsat TM / ETM image data, the dynamics change of land use is analysed by using remote sensing and GIS software. The trend of change measures the effect of the Grain to Green Projects in the study area. The results show that farmland was the main type of land, and building land had the most dynamic degree during the period of studying. Since the implementation of the Grain to Green Projects in 2000, the area of farmland has decreased and the patches have been fragmented. The area of forestland has increased and the connectivity of patches has increased. The shape of grass types has tended to be regular. At the same time, the overall landscape diversity has increased and the spatial layout has become increasingly regularized. This study provides a theoretical support for policy-making of environmental protection and management in Eastern Sichuan Region of Sichuan Province.

Multiform frequency selective surfaces optimal design based on topology optimization

This article proposes an optimization design method for various frequency selective surfaces (FSSs) based on topology optimization algorithm incorporated with the genetic algorithm. The present method takes the connectivity condition both in simulation and fabrication of the elements into consideration. For the filling elements structural design methodology, the novel hexagonal-pixel filling element structural design is employed for improving the patch connection. As examples, various FSSs, such as a large-angle-stability band-pass FSS, wideband band-pass FSS, and multiple band-pass FSS, are designed. Furthermore, the validity of the present method is proved by the agreement between the simulation and the measurement.

Correcting common misconceptions to inspire conservation action in urban environments.

Despite repeated calls to action, proposals for urban conservation are often met with surprise or scepticism. There remains a pervasive narrative in policy, practice, and the public psyche that urban environments, although useful for engaging people with nature or providing ecosystem services, are of little conservation value. We argue that the tendency to overlook the conservation value of urban environments stems from misconceptions about the ability of native species to persist within cities and towns and that this, in turn, hinders effective conservation action. However, recent scientific evidence shows that these assumptions do not always hold. Although it is generally true that increasing the size, quality, and connectivity of habitat patches will improve the probability that a species can persist, the inverse is not that small, degraded, or fragmented habitats found in urban environments are worthless. In light of these findings we propose updated messages that guide and inspire researchers, practitioners, and decision makers to undertake conservation action in urban environments: consider small spaces, recognize unconventional habitats, test creative solutions, and use science to minimize the impacts of future urban development.

Seasonal changes in water quality and its main influencing factors in the Dan River basin

Surface water quality has a vital role in determining the ecological environment, public health, and social and economic development. This study analyzed the spatial and seasonal differences in surface water quality in the Dan River basin based on three monitoring sections over the period of 2009–2015. The main influencing factors and their contributions to water quality in different seasons were determined using statistical analysis, Hurst exponent and redundancy analysis. Results indicated that vegetation coverage in the Dan River basin increased substantially from 2009 to 2015, particularly forested land. Higher concentrations of major water pollution indicators were recorded in the downstream monitoring sites. Nitrate nitrogen (NN) and total phosphorus (TP) made the largest contributions to the pollution of water quality and indicated spatial and seasonal changes. Lower NN concentrations were more frequent during the summer, whereas TP concentrations were higher during the spring. Thus, the factor making the largest contribution to water quality varied with the season. The contribution of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to water quality gradually decreased from spring to winter, whereas contributions of land use to water quality gradually increased from spring to winter. Analyses of landscape metrics suggested that patch connectivity was the primary factor influencing water quality in the different seasons. Water level was the main hydrological parameter impacting stream water quality. These results suggested that seasonal differences in the major factors influencing water quality should be taken into account for effective water management.

Characterizing landscape patterns in changing mangrove ecosystems at high latitudes using spatial metrics

Mangroves are coastal ecosystems and a detailed characterization of their spatial metrics is important to understand the underlying processes of mangrove change and to inform future mangrove management. The main objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the past (1940) and current (2014) spatial metrics of mangroves at high latitudes and (2) to assess the relationship between spatial metrics and land-based, climatic and oceanic factors in 2014. Mangroves were mapped into categories of tall and dwarf mangroves, as well as into delta, riverine and estuarine mangroves based on field surveys, satellite images and aerial photographs across 38 estuaries of varying size in the Auckland Region, New Zealand. Fragstats was applied to determine spatial metrics indices related to complexity, connectivity, and configuration of mangrove patches. While the number of mangrove patches remained stable, mangrove patch size increased significantly (75%) suggesting that the increase in total mangrove area in the Auckland Region is mainly driven by an increase in patch size. Tall mangroves became more fragmented, through both reduction in connectivity (Mean Proximity Index in 2014 = 214, decrease of 35%) and their shape becoming more irregular (Mean Shape Index in 2014 = 1.9, an increase of 24%). Catchment related factors (e.g., sediment accumulation rate) had a strong effect on the total mangrove area and number of patches. In contrast, mean patch size and patch connectivity were influenced by nitrogen concentration, mean wave height and tidal amplitude, which in combination explained up to 63% of the variability. These findings can be used to facilitate decision-making concerning the sustainable future management of mangroves.

Foundation species patch configuration mediates salt marsh biodiversity, stability and multifunctionality.

Foundation species enhance biodiversity and multifunctionality across many systems; however, whether foundation species patch configuration mediates their ecological effects is unknown. In a 6-month field experiment, we test which attributes of foundation species patch configuration - i.e. patch size, total patch area, perimeter, area-perimeter ratio, or connectivity - control biodiversity, stability and multifunctionality by adding a standardised density of mussel foundation species in patches of 1, 5, 10, 30, 60, 90 or 180 individuals to a southeastern US salt marsh. Over 67% of response variables increased with clustering of mussels, responses that were driven by increases in area-perimeter ratio (33%), decreases in perimeter (29%), or increases in patch size (5%), suggesting sensitivity to external stressors and/or dependence on foundation species-derived niche availability and segregation. Thus, mussel configuration - by controlling the relative distribution of multidimensional patch interior and edge niche space - critically modulates this foundation species' effects on ecosystem structure, stability and function.

Scale-dependent resource use in the Euphydryas aurinia complex

Butterflies of the European Euphydryas aurinia complex include a series of taxa, showing morphological and eco-ethological differences. All of them are threatened by changes in land use affecting both the structural and functional connectivity of habitat patches, as well as habitat quality. In this framework, we analysed the use of resources by two of the three taxa occurring in Italy, E. (a.) glaciegenita (Alpine) and E. (a.) provincialis (Mediterranean), at ‘landscape’, ‘patch’ and ‘microhabitat’ scale. We collected data on spatial distribution of adults by Mark-Release-Recapture to understand which parameters affect adult distributions at landscape scale and to test the degree of adult aggregation at patch scale. We sampled first instar larvae within fixed plots and compared the microhabitat characteristics of occupied vs. unoccupied host plants. We found that both populations were affected by management at landscape scale, with contrasting patterns depending on both sites and sex. The food plants were not a limiting factor for adult distribution, probably because they were abundant in the study areas. Within patches, males of E. (a.) glaciegenita showed aggregate distributions in comparison to those of E. (a.) provincialis, suggesting the existence of a “lek strategy”. At microhabitat scale, we observed that females carefully chose their egg-laying sites according to host plant density and microclimatic cues, even though selection was driven by distinct factors in the two populations. Understanding the ecological requirements of all life stages is essential to develop appropriate conservation strategies to preserve butterflies of the E. aurinia complex in Italy.

Prioritizing Abandoned Mine Lands Rehabilitation: Combining Landscape Connectivity and Pattern Indices with Scenario Analysis Using Land-Use Modeling

Connectivity modeling approaches for abandoned mine lands (AML) patches are limited in post-mining landscape restoration, especially where great land use changes might be expected due to large-scale land reclamation. This study presents a novel approach combining AML patch sizes with a proximity index to characterize patch-scaled connectivity for determining the spatial positions of patches with huge sizes and high connectivity. Then this study propose a scenario-based method coupled with landscape-scale metrics for quantifying landscape-scaled connectivity, which aims at exploring the optimal reclamation scheme with the highest connectivity. Using the Mentougou District in Beijing, China, as a case study, this paper confirmed which patches should be reclaimed first to meet the predetermined reclamation numbers; then this paper tested three different reclamation scenarios (i.e., cultivated land-oriented, forest-oriented, and construction land-oriented scenarios) to describe the impact of the different development strategies on landscape connectivity. The research found that the forest-oriented scenario increased connectivity quantitatively, showing an increase in the integral index of connectivity (IIC) and other landscape-scale metrics. Therefore, this paper suggests that future land-use policies should emphasize converting AML into more forest to blend in with the surrounding land-use categories. The findings presented here can contribute to better understanding the quantitative analysis of the connectivity of AML patches at both the patch scale and the landscape scale, thus providing scientific support for AML management in mine-site rehabilitation.

Simulating Long-Term Effects of Bioenergy Extraction on Dead Wood Availability at a Landscape Scale in Sweden

Wood bioenergy may decrease the reliance on fossil carbon and mitigate anticipated increases in temperature. However, increased use of wood bioenergy may have large impacts on forest biodiversity primarily through the loss of dead wood habitats. We evaluated both the large-scale and long-term effects of different bioenergy extraction scenarios on the availability of dead wood and the suitability of the resulting habitat for saproxylic species, using a spatially explicit forest landscape simulation framework applied in the Swedish boreal forest. We demonstrate that bioenergy extraction scenarios, differing in the level of removal of biomass, can have significant effects on dead wood volumes. Although all of the scenarios led to decreasing levels of dead wood, the scenario aimed at species conservation led to highest volumes of dead wood (about 10 m3 ha−1) and highest connectivity of dead wood patches (mean proximity index of 78), whilst the scenario aimed at reaching zero fossil fuel targets led to the lowest levels (about 8 m3 ha−1) and least connectivity (mean proximity index of 7). Our simulations stress that further exploitation of dead wood from sites where volumes are already below suggested habitat thresholds for saproxylic species will very likely have further negative effects on dead wood dependent species.

Patch occupancy of grassland specialists: Habitat quality matters more than habitat connectivity

Land-use change has caused degradation, loss and fragmentation of semi-natural habitats, especially in grassland ecosystems. Today, the remaining habitats are often situated in a matrix of intensively used agricultural land and are therefore more or less isolated from each other. Connectivity, area and quality of habitat patches have been identified as the most important drivers for the persistence of grassland specialists living in metapopulations. However, the relative importance of these factors is still under debate. We used a large-scale, multi-taxon approach to obtain a general pattern which would facilitate conservationists to promote many, instead of one, species. We studied the patch occupancy of 13 grassland specialists belonging to three different insect orders within a Central European landscape with 89 fragments of calcareous grasslands. To disentangle the relative importance of the three metapopulation parameters, generalized linear models (GLM) and variation-partitioning techniques were used. Our study revealed that habitat quality was the most important factor determining the occurrence of specialized species, followed by habitat area. In comparison to habitat connectivity, the variance explained by habitat quality was significantly higher across the studied species. Nevertheless, the persistence of at least six model organisms depended on the degree of habitat connectivity. We conclude that maintaining a high habitat quality on large patches should be the first choice for the conservation of habitat specialist insects in fragmented landscapes. As a secondary measure, conservationists should concentrate on the restoration of relict sites. This increases not only the habitat area, but also contributes to better habitat connectivity.

Components of landscape pattern and urban biodiversity in an era of climate change: a global survey of expert knowledge

There is sufficient evidence to show that both humans and fauna are profoundly affected by landscape pattern composition and configuration in relation to adaptation to climate change impacts in urban landscapes. Despite this, global-scale research that ranks which components of landscape pattern play the most pivotal roles in this process is absent. Also lacking is in-depth examination of the potential areas of conflict between biodiversity conservation targets and those that pertain to human dimensions of climate change adaptation goals in relation to landscape patterns. The research aim was to determine how to identify, rank, and weight the most important components of landscape pattern affecting urban biodiversity in the changing climate and how to address areas of conflict between biodiversity conservation and human dimensions of climate change adaptation goals in terms of the spatial patterning of land cover classes distributed across urban landscapes. To do this, a global survey of 87 participants from 69 academic centres involved in at least 325 research projects between 2000 and 2017 was conducted. Of the eight components of landscape pattern identified and ranked by participants worldwide, the three most important components are respectively patch size, connectivity and proximity, and land cover heterogeneity. This research reveals that opinions of participants with experience in conducting research in the Southern Hemisphere in general and Oceania in particular influence this ranking. While a range of recommendations from specialists have been gathered and weighted, there is still much more research required to address areas of conflict between what fauna and humans need in the face of climate change.

Multi-scale effects of urban landscape pattern on plant diversity in Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China.

The changes of urban surface landscape will lead to damage, fragmentation, and losses of biodiversity, resulting in urban biodiversity decline. In order to explore the responses of urban plant diversity to the changes of landscape pattern, we chose the urban area surrounded by round-city highway as research object, set 36 plots in different directions with the Gupeng Square as the center, investigated the plant group in each of the plots through coverage rank method of Braun-Blanquet, and examined the features of plant species diversity in Xuzhou's greenlands. Meanwhile, we divided the landscape of the research area into seven categories: buildings, grasslands, forest lands, waste lands, water areas, roads and farmlands with the help of Erdas, GIS software and Landsat TM remote sensing images from 2005 to 2015 as basic data source. The features of landscape pattern in the research area were analyzed by Fragstats software. We set nine different buffer districts within each of the sample plot by applying the space analyzing function of GIS, calculated 39 landscape pattern metrics using Fragstats, and explored the features of how plant diversity responsed to landscape pattern. After that, the landscape pattern metrics with significant influence on the plant diversity of urban greenlands under different extents were selected by redundant analysis (RDA). The results showed that the plant diversity had obvious temporal and spatial scale effects in responses to landscape pattern and landscape elements. In 2005, the patch area and shape metrics of unused land and farmland could better explain plant diversity in 800 m buffer zone. The patch fragmentation and connectivity metrics of construction land had significant impacts on plant diversity within the extent of 800-2000 m. In 2015, grassland and forest landscapes better explained plant diversity in the 800 m buffer zone while construction sites and unused land had a remarkable impact on plant diversity in the extent of 1000-2000 m. The current plant diversity was more strongly influenced by the 2005 landscape type metrics, indicating that the plant diversity lagged in its response to the changes of landscape pattern. The pattern metrics of landscape level were more consistent with the landscape-class level metrics, indicating that the interaction between species and spatial scale was more dependent on the landscape type. This study would provide effective decision-making information for Xuzhou City planning and construction as well as effective protection of urban green space biodiversity.

Riparian forest corridors: A prioritization analysis to the Landscape Sample Units of the Brazilian National Forest Inventory

In addition to sampling biophysical data in field plots, the Brazilian National Forest Inventory (NFI-BR) has a component dedicated to the study of Brazilian rural landscapes. The Landscape Sample Units (LSUs) are square areas of 100 km2, established in a regular grid of 40 × 40 km over the entire national territory, where habitat quality and spatial structure are characterized and evaluated. The LSUs’ evaluation scheme measures the fragmentation and connectivity of remnant forest patches as well as the spatial configuration of riparian zones. As part of these analyses we propose the use of integrated indices based on the structural connectivity of the riparian environments as forest corridors, the degree of human pressure acting on them and the protection schemes defined by the new Brazilian forest legislation. These indices are then turned into scores to make a ranking allowing for the identification of riparian priority areas for conservation and landscape restoration. Basic processing steps included the application of Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA) to the LULC map of a pilot sample from the LSU dataset in the State of Paraná, in southern Brazil. The following indices have been calculated for 20 LSUs: Structural Corridors Index (SCc), which reveals the proportion of core and bridge MSPA categories within the riparian zone, the Structural Corridors under Pressure Index (CPc), that allows the identification of areas where structural corridors coexist with areas subject to anthropogenic influences and, finally, the Structural Corridors under Pressure Protection Index (UCPc), which identifies areas that function as corridors, being under anthropogenic pressure as well but with little or no legal protection, thus corresponding to priority areas for conservation. Among the 20 pilot LSUs studied, three of them are representative of a critical situation regarding conservation issues as they presented high values for indices CPc and UCPc, which denote areas with high anthropogenic influences and no environmental protection schemes. An important aspect of the proposed methodology is the possibility to identify and prioritize areas at different spatial scales, further aggregating the indices for LSU or larger political regions, such as micro and mesoregions of federal states.

Dinámica metapoblacional, ocupación espacial y migración en bivalvos de importancia comercial: el caso de la almeja Tawera gayi (Bivalvia: Veneridae) en el Mar Interior de Chiloé

Tawera gayi (Hupe, 1854), is a bivalve mollusk commonly known as Juliana, whose commercial extraction in Chile is concentrated both in the northern area of the Chiloe inner sea and in the vicinity of the Desertores Islands. According to fishery statistics, landings have progressively decreased in recent times, for which reasons have been raised related to the market and the overexploitation of the resource and the non-inclusion of the spatial connectivity of the various local patches in fisheries management. For this reason, the study of the metapopulation dynamics (ie the temporal variation of the occupation of the patches), can be a useful tool to understand species that seem to have a high spatial connectivity. In the present work simulations were carried out for two scenarios described in the area to answer a series of questions related to the spatial connectivity between patches, the effects of the decrease of patches for connectivity and the degree of incidence of some local population in the Chiloe inner sea. The results indicate that, by reducing the availability of larvae due to loss of the reproductive fraction, the probability of colonization is reduced, also affecting the probability of dispersion and the incidence among patches. This is summarized in a change in the dynamics of the metapopulation. In a temporal perspective, it was found that the population of Juliana went from having a high connectivity among the banks to a condition of self-recruitment of some larger patches, as seen in other clams of commercial importance. Therefore, it is essential to consider the spatial connectivity in fisheries management, considering also the synergistic effects that the extraction of species of commercial interest can generate in the marine ecosystems of the Chiloe inner sea.

DYNAMIC MONITORING OF LAND COVER IN DONGTING LAKE AREA BETWEEN 1995–2015 WITH LANDSAT IMAGERY

Abstract. In this paper, the Landsat imagery of 1995, 2006 and 2015 is used to monitor land cover change in Dongting Lake area. Our study mainly focuses on five types of land cover: water body, wetland, built-up area, cropland and forest. The land cover change in the Dongting Lake area is comprehensively evaluated by using land cover transfer matrix, land cover change amplitude, and landscape pattern indexes. Our study shows that: (1) the cropland area increased from 48.58 % in 1995 to 53.61 % in 2006, then decreased to 48.85 % in 2015; (2) different from the trend of cropland, the area of water body and wetland decreased in 2006; (3) the forest area steadily increased, to 2015, and there was an increase of 3.46 % during 1995–2015, due to artificial afforestation in the lake area. In terms of the landscape pattern, the landscape fragmentation decreased and the patch connectivity increased.

Fragmentation in calcareous grasslands: species specialization matters

Habitat fragmentation resulting from anthropogenic land-use change may negatively affect both biodiversity and ecosystem structure and function. However, susceptibility to fragmentation varies between species and may be influenced by for instance specialization, functional traits and trophic level. We examined how total and specialist species richness, species composition and functional trait composition at two trophic levels (vascular plants and sap-feeding hoppers) vary with habitat fragmentation (patch size and connectivity) in dry calcareous grasslands in southeast Norway. We found that fragmentation affected plant and hopper species composition both totally and of habitat specialists, but with a net species loss only for the specialists, indicating greater susceptibility of specialized species. Reductions in patch size and increasing isolation negatively affected plant specialists with different sets of traits, effectively reducing the number of species with trait combinations suitable to persist in small and isolated patches. Fragmentation influenced trait composition of the total hopper community, but not of habitat specialists. A lesser degree of habitat association could explain why hoppers, despite belonging to a higher tropic level, seemed to be less susceptible to fragmentation than plants. Nonetheless, our study shows that habitat fragmentation affects both species richness, species composition and trait composition of plants and hoppers, indicating that fragmentation leads not only to a loss of species, but also alters dominance hierarchies and the functionality of grassland communities.

Alpine glacial relict species losing out to climate change: The case of the fragmented mountain hare population (Lepus timidus) in the Alps.

Alpine and Arctic species are considered to be particularly vulnerable to climate change, which is expected to cause habitat loss, fragmentation and-ultimately-extinction of cold-adapted species. However, the impact of climate change on glacial relict populations is not well understood, and specific recommendations for adaptive conservation management are lacking. We focused on the mountain hare (Lepus timidus) as a model species and modelled species distribution in combination with patch and landscape-based connectivity metrics. They were derived from graph-theory models to quantify changes in species distribution and to estimate the current and future importance of habitat patches for overall population connectivity. Models were calibrated based on 1,046 locations of species presence distributed across three biogeographic regions in the Swiss Alps and extrapolated according to two IPCC scenarios of climate change (RCP 4.5 & 8.5), each represented by three downscaled global climate models. The models predicted an average habitat loss of 35% (22%-55%) by 2100, mainly due to an increase in temperature during the reproductive season. An increase in habitat fragmentation was reflected in a 43% decrease in patch size, a 17% increase in the number of habitat patches and a 34% increase in inter-patch distance. However, the predicted changes in habitat availability and connectivity varied considerably between biogeographic regions: Whereas the greatest habitat losses with an increase in inter-patch distance were predicted at the southern and northern edges of the species' Alpine distribution, the greatest increase in patch number and decrease in patch size is expected in the central Swiss Alps. Finally, both the number of isolated habitat patches and the number of patches crucial for maintaining the habitat network increased under the different variants of climate change. Focusing conservation action on the central Swiss Alps may help mitigate the predicted effects of climate change on population connectivity.

Landscape connectivity among remnant populations of guanaco (Lama guanicoe Müller, 1776) in an arid region of Chile impacted by global change.

Connectivity between populations plays a key role in the long-term persistence of species in fragmented habitats. This is of particular concern for biodiversity preservation in drylands, since water limited landscapes are typically characterized by little suitable habitat cover, high habitat fragmentation, harsh matrices, and are being rapidly degraded at a global scale. In this study, we modelled landscape connectivity between 11 guanaco Lama guanicoe populations in Chile’s arid Norte Chico, a region that supports the last remnant coastal populations of this emblematic herbivore indigenous to South America. We produced a habitat suitability model to derive a regional surface resistance map, and used circuit theory to map functional connectivity, investigate the relative isolation between populations, and identify those that contribute most to the patch connectivity network. Predicted suitable habitat for L. guanicoe represented about 25% of the study region (i.e., 29,173 km2) and was heterogeneously distributed along a continuous stretch along the Andes, and discontinuous patches along the coast. As a result, we found that high connectivity current flows in the mid and high Andes formed a wide, continuous connectivity corridor, enabling connectivity between all high Andean populations. Coastal populations, in contrast, were more isolated. These groups demonstrate no inter-population connectivity between themselves, only with higher altitude populations, and for two of them, animal movement was linked to the effectiveness of wildlife crossings along the Pan-American highway. Our results indicate that functional connectivity is an issue of concern for L. guanicoe in Chile’s Norte Chico, implying that future conservation and management plans should emphasize strategies aimed at conserving functional connectivity between coastal and Andean populations, as well as the protection of habitat patches likely to act as stepping stones within the connectivity network.

Pigs in space: An agent-based model of wild boar (Sus scrofa) movement into cities

Last decades saw a dramatic increase in wildlife populations within urban areas. Policymakers seek to minimize human-wildlife conflicts resulting from overabundance of species, such as wild boars (Sus scrofa). To this end, there is a need to understand the drivers governing infiltration of wildlife into cities. In this paper we study the availability and distribution of food resources in urban areas as driver of wild boar movement patterns. Based on the optimal foraging theory, we utilize an agent-based simulation model to investigate the ever-growing infiltration of wild boars into some cities. We apply the model to an artificial city that mimics the landscape of the city of Haifa. Manipulating food availability and relative resistance costs of different land-covers we demonstrate that infiltration of boars depends on population size of wild boars and on the amount and spatial distribution of attractors (e.g., food). Model outputs for likely sets of parameters demonstrate good correspondence to the reports of boar observations within the city of Haifa, Israel, where the porosity of the urban fabric and the connectivity of open space patches provide a trail network that makes food throughout the city accessible at a relatively low search-cost. Our results indicate that land cover and food patterns determine critically boars’ foraging movement and infiltration into the city. The proposed modeling framework provides a tool to investigate wildlife management policies that aim at reducing people-wildlife conflicts in cities.

Landscape sustainability in terms of landscape services in rural areas: Exemplified with a case study area in Poland

This study aimed to characterize the landscape sustainability in terms of landscape services (LS) provided in seven study areas with different characteristics located in Malopolska Province. The results of the qualitative categorization of LS using an assessment matrix were juxtaposed with the results of the quantitative assessment using indicators.As a result, study areas were divided into three groups regarding the bundle of provided LS. In multifunctional landscapes characterized by moderate flow of most LS and often high flow of cultural LS, there were: high landscape diversity, moderate connectivity of forest patches and moderate values of regulating LS. Mountainous landscape with a high flow of regulating LS was characterized by moderate landscape diversity, high connectivity of forest class and high values of erosion control and climate regulation. In agricultural landscapes with a high flow of agricultural production LS, there were: low landscape diversity and connectivity of forest patches, low values of erosion control and climate regulation, but high values of nutrient retention. Consequently, all analyzed landscapes may be described as sustainable in terms of LS, as every landscape provides a specific bundle of LS and a reasonable level of landscape diversity, connectivity and regulating LS.The qualitative categorization of LS provided the most complete perspective on LS provided in the study areas. Landscape metrics (LM) allow the significance of landscape diversity and connectivity to be emphasized, whereas the quantitative analysis of regulating LS allow to compare the results of quantitative assessment and qualitative categorization. These two types of indicators are especially useful when threshold values are required. Composition metrics (proportion of forest and arable land) allow a determination of landscapes dominated by regulating and provisioning LS, whereas configuration metrics (especially Shannon’s Diversity Index and Contagion Index) allow landscapes with a high flow of cultural LS to be identified.