Landscape Ecological Analysis Research Articles

Basic methodology in construction of vertical gardening of a building

The research covers basic procedure of the formation of a model of vertical gardening of buildings within the concept of landscape gardening, ecology of vertical gardening, green construction technologies and measures to improve the energy performance of buildings. The “objective tree” is set; it determines the current trends of development of green panes. The content of the landscape-ecological “green constructor” of plant selection is set, in order to ensure the comfort of the living environment, the formation of the biodiversity of the urbanized environment, and the resolution of the socio-ecological problems of the city and agricultural issues. For the first time, a selection procedure for vertical gardening is offered. Architectural and landscape solutions for improving the environment with green panes in the city of Volgograd are presented. The work uses multivariate landscape-ecological analysis; simulation method and experimental design of a green pane in in the city of Volgograd. The developed methodology of landscape-ecological construction of green panes allows using these ideas in domestic and foreign construction in similar environmental conditions. New landscape solutions are presented. They increase the potential of energy-saving technologies of buildings in the formation of vertical gardening, including issues of improving comfort, health and safety of people.

Ecological Experiment in Basic and Predictive Biogeocoenological Studies

The author proposes a paradigm of experimental biogeocoenology in which the operating system is managed with empirical-statistical models of the spatial organization of forest ecosystems at the topological level. The strategy of topological landscape-ecological analysis, as well as the ideology and methods of geoenvironmental forecasting, are described. The presented basic and predictive models reveal the mechanisms of the formation of topoecological systems and their natural and anthropogenic dynamics. The conformity of forest biogeocoenoses in different zonal-regional conditions of the Volga basin to natural laws of positive and negative regulation of the carbon cycle are described according to well-known global climate change scenarios. Experimental environmental analysis was carried out on specific examples with the methods of basic empirical imitation of computed-predicted situations.

Landscape sustainability and the landscape ecology of institutions

Context: Landscape sustainability emerges from interactions between linked human and natural systems. Many of these interactions are mediated by institutions (e.g., rules, laws, customs, traditions), most of which are themselves spatially defined entities that both generate and respond to spatial variation in the landscape. However, the spatial dynamics of the interplay between institutions and landscape heterogeneity are poorly understood. Objective: To define the landscape ecology of institutions as an emerging research field, providing a summary of key themes and frontiers. Methods: We draw on existing theory in both landscape ecology and institutional analysis to explore the interface between landscape ecology and institutions in social-ecological systems. Results: Three central themes in understanding landscape sustainability through an institutional lens include the role of landscape heterogeneity as a driver of institutions; the spatial properties of institutions as influences on ecological and socioeconomic processes; and the relationships between institutions and landscape resilience. Emerging frontiers for further research include understanding the roles of top-down vs bottom up processes (design vs. emergence); understanding landscapes as institutional filters; the role of landscapes in institutional development and change; and co-evolutionary dynamics between landscapes and institutions. We discuss each of these points in detail. Conclusions: Spatially mediated feedbacks between landscape structure and institutions are poorly understood and critical for landscape sustainability. Further research in this area will depend heavily on generating data sets that describe the spatial properties of institutions and allow them to be analysed as landscape features.

Urbanization in Small Cities and Their Significant Implications on Landscape Structures: The Case in Ethiopia

Fundamental ideas concerning urbanization are primarily based on studies performed in large cities. It is of interest to study whether or not similar phenomena take place in smaller cities. Small cities are an inherent component of urbanization, and in the future, the majority of globalization is expected to occur in small and mid-sized cities. Understanding the effects of small cities on landscape structures is, therefore, an essential component in planning city land expansion. Accordingly, this study focused on six towns of the Oromia Special Zone Surrounding Finfinnee, Ethiopia, which is broadly known to be experiencing dramatic growth. Time-series Landsat images from 1987 to 2019 with an integrated method, landscape metrics, and built-up density analysis were employed to characterize and compare the dynamics of landscape structures, urban expansion patterns, process, and overall growth status in the towns. The results highlight that all the towns experienced accelerated growth in the built-up areas and highly scattered nature in spatial growth. Landscape ecology analysis confirmed a highly fragmented urban landscape, a significant loss of natural land covers, and disconnected and complicated agro-vegetation patches in all towns, suggesting a lack of rigorous implementation of the master plan. Results also indicated that the Oromia Special Zone surrounding Finfinnee has failed to control urban sprawl to surrounding ecological sensitive areas. The study results, more broadly, highlight that the small cities would have a limited physical and demographic footprint and relatively less contribution to the national economic agglomeration; nonetheless, they can have a notable and important impact in terms of their ecological and environmental influence. Hence, the study suggests policies for monitoring such dynamics and protecting agro-environmental connectivity with particular focus on the small cities.

Organization of rational use of agricultural land on a landscape-ecological basis

The aim of the study is to develop a project for the rational organization of the use of agricultural land for land use on the basis of a comprehensive integrated assessment and landscape-ecological analysis, involving their landscape-ecological optimization, conservation of landscape diversity. This project will establish the main criteria for the optimization of agricultural lands as natural-economic systems: land and resource security; level of forest cover; agricultural load on landscapes (erosion level, specific gravity of irrigated and drained lands, livestock load per 100 ha of fodder land); the degree of agrogenic load on agrolandscapes (specific gravity of steam, indicators of plowing and agricultural development); landscape-ecological conditions (landscape situation, drainage of landscapes, relief, soil; water and radiation balances; manifestation of adverse physical and geographical processes); spatial and technological conditions (a variety of landscape patterns of arable land and other lands, their configuration and size); the degree of environmental tension (the degree of development of natural physical and geographical processes and anthropogenic ones: salinization, waterlogging, flooding, pollution of soils, snow, air and water basins, etc.); the amount of agricultural losses; environmental, social and economic efficiency of the implementation of design developments. The methods used are: abstract-logical, integrated landscape and environmental assessment, cartographic, modeling methods.

The state of agrolandscapes of the forest-steppe zone of the Krasnoyarsk Territory

The landscape concept should give a fundamental assessment of the intensification extent of agricultural prospects. A detailed agroecological examination of all components of the natural-territorial complex, the creation of simulation models of their dynamics and the adoption of optimal decisions based on the results of forecasts should be carried out. The purpose of landscape analysis of natural resources is a comprehensive assessment of climatic, soil, plant and animal factors, establishing the relationship of landscape components with farming systems. Any landscape in the process of its development is exposed to impacts, and its stability has its limits. The stability threshold, expressed through the preservation by the landscape of its parameters and properties, and the critical impact quantities are determined in each case. General criteria for the natural stability of geosystems are their high organization, intensive functioning and geosystems functions balance, including biological productivity and renewability of vegetation cover. These qualities are determined by the optimum ratio of heat and moisture and are expressed by the development of soil cover, and ultimately, soil fertility. Landscape-ecological analysis of the territory makes it possible to establish the composition of agricultural and non-agricultural land, taking into account the heterogeneity and stability of a particular landscape, the occurrence of geochemical and biological processes in it, as well as to link the system of agriculture, land reclamation and specialization of the agricultural organization. The main element of Novosyolovo district landscape is agricultural land; the lands of the forest fund are the second largest area of natural geosystems. The degree of change in agrolandscapes is estimated on the basis of the existing structural and functional organization of agricultural lands, their quality state. It was established that plowing is low and it does not exceed the allowable limit, the forest cover of the district is close to optimal.

Изменение таксономического разнообразия мезонаселения почв в диапазоне экологических условий северного макросклона хребта Хамар-Дабан

Landscape-ecological analysis of taxonomic diversity and structure of soil invertebrates’ community in the geosystems of the Hamar-Daban Region was carried out on the main levels: local (biogeocenotic), topological (facies) and regional. The paper considers regularities of transformation of communities’ structure in landscape-zonal range under the influence of natural conditions: phytocenotic (peculiarities of vegetation), edaphical and climatic (hydrothermal regime of the soil) and anthropogenic factors. On the models groups: Сarabidae, Staphylinidae, Elateridae, Formicidae altitudinal changes of community' structure have been traced; in all landscape-high-rise complexes (in species composition and abundance of species) was revealed forest preference. The main trend of changes in taxonomic diversity of invertebrate’s communities is a decrease in the species number in the gradient of an increase of climate aridity, and strengthening of the hypothermal character and anthropogenic pressure. Peculiarities of structures invertebrate’s communities and their changes due to the climate change and anthropogenic impacts can serve as one of diagnostic criteria of soil conditions and can be used for estimation of landscapes’ transformation and monitoring.

Study on Land-use Changes and Their Impacts on Air Pollution in Chengdu

The expansion of urban areas and the increase in the number of buildings and urbanization characteristics, such as roads, affect the meteorological environment in urban areas, resulting in weakened pollutant dispersion. First, this paper uses GIS (geographic information system) spatial analysis technology and landscape ecology analysis methods to analyze the dynamic changes in land cover and landscape patterns in Chengdu as a result of urban development. Second, the most appropriate WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) model parameterization scheme is selected and screened. Land-use data from different development stages in the city are included in the model, and the wind speed and temperature results simulated using new and old land-use data (1980 and 2015) are evaluated and compared. Finally, the results of the numerical simulations by the WRF-Chem air quality model using new and old land-use data are coupled with 0.25° × 0.25°-resolution MEIC (Multi-resolution Emission Inventory for China) emission source data from Tsinghua University. The results of the sensitivity experiments using the WRF-Chem model for the city under different development conditions and during different periods are discussed. The meteorological conditions and pollution sources remained unchanged as the land-use data changed, which revealed the impact of urban land-use changes on the simulation results of PM2.5 atmospheric pollutants. The results show the following. (1) From 1980 to 2015, the land-use changes in Chengdu were obvious, and cultivated land exhibited the greatest changes, followed by forestland. Under the influence of urban land-use dynamics and human activities, both the richness and evenness of the landscape in Chengdu increased. (2) The microphysical scheme WSM3 (WRF Single–Moment 3 class) and land-surface scheme SLAB (5-layer diffusion scheme) were the most suitable for simulating temperatures and wind speeds in the WRF model. The wind speed and temperature simulation results using the 2015 land-use data were better than those using the 1980 land-use data when assessed according to the coincidence index and correlation coefficient. (3) The WRF-Chem simulation results obtained for PM2.5 using the 2015 land-use data were better than those obtained using the 1980 land-use data in terms of the correlation coefficient and standard deviation. The concentration of PM2.5 in urban areas was higher than that in the suburbs, and the concentration of PM2.5 was lower on Longquan Mountain in Chengdu than in the surrounding areas.

Improving conservation strategies of raptors through landscape ecology analysis: The case of the endemic Cuban Black Hawk.

Raptor species conservation should consider a landscape perspective in order to include habitat requirements associated to large home ranges around nesting sites. Landscape analysis can help to better understand raptor habitat requirements and the degree of tolerance to habitat changes at different scales.We used a landscape ecology perspective to determine the nesting habitat selection of endemic and endangered Cuban Black Hawk, and using ecological niche modeling, we obtained the potential distribution of nests to evaluate the effectiveness of protected areas (PAs) for raptor conservation.Nesting habitat selection was related to breeding success at a landscape scale using data from 27 different nesting sites during 2012–2013 breeding seasons. The potential nesting areas distribution was compared with current officially PAs design in the central region of Cuba.All nests were located in mangrove swamp. Pairs chose nesting sites with low soil–vegetation moisture and low soil reflectance. At the landscape level, they selected low shape complexity of patches and few patches of coastal vegetation around nesting sites which contained similar mangrove patch size and shape. The potential distribution of nests increased close to the coastline. The model predicted a suitable narrow area of 556 km2, and the most favorable nesting area represented 2% of this total. 33% of nests were located within officially natural protected areas while 27% were close to or inside highly threatened areas. A 16% of high to medium suitable nesting habitat overlaps with urban areas. Currently, PAs contain 23% of the nesting area distribution.Our study shows landscape ecology and nest‐site selection approach is crucial to evaluate the persistence of Cuban Black Hawk, as environmental variables and human activity can be related to its productivity. This approach can be applied in conservation strategies of island raptors.

FracL: A Tool for Characterizing the Fractality of Landscape Gradients from a New Perspective

The past several years have witnessed much progress in landscape ecology and fractal analysis. In landscape ecology, the gradient model of landscape patterns (i.e., landscape gradient) has emerged as a new operating paradigm, where most landscape metrics do not apply because they were developed for the patch mosaic model. In the fractal analysis, a new definition of fractal has been proposed, and various new fractal metrics have been developed. This technical note aims to provide an intersection of these two lines of advance, which will further present an opportunity to advance geo-informatics by considering the latest progress in both landscape ecology and fractal analysis. We first present an overview of the new definition of fractal and all the fractal metrics developed under this new definition. Since the chief obstacle to geographers and landscape ecologists in applying these metrics is the lack of readily accessible methods for their easy computation, we then develop an integrated tool to compute them on landscape gradients. The developed tool facilitates the computation of these new fractal metrics. A case study was carried out with real-life landscape gradients, namely a digital terrain model. These new fractal metrics and the developed tool can be expected to facilitate the fractal characterization of the patterns of gradient landscapes and the understanding of landscape dynamics from a new perspective.

Emerging trajectories for spatial pattern analysis in landscape ecology

Landscape ecology is an interdisciplinary field, drawing on theories and methods from across the physical, natural, and social sciences. Spatial pattern analysis was built on this foundation of interdisciplinarity, and these connections continue to foster new trajectories in the field. Using the Isserman Curve (i.e., the innovation-adoption or cumulative knowledge curve) as a framing device, this paper examines how interdisciplinary perspectives continue to help de-lock from periods of incremental improvement in spatial pattern analysis and launch new, transformative directions for describing and analyzing spatial patterns. Examples of interdisciplinary perspectives from three fields are discussed alongside the promising trajectories being launched. These include: (1) microscopy and surface metrology, which are contributing methods for analyzing spatial patterns in gradient surfaces, (2) thermodynamics and information theory, which contribute a foundation for measuring entropy and an understanding of how landscape patterns are governed by the central organizing principles of nature, and (3) regional studies, which utilizes alternative conceptualizations of proximity that may be applied to graph-based approaches to better incorporate functional connectivity. Landscape ecology’s interdisciplinary roots have been instrumental for developing innovative approaches to spatial pattern analysis, and outside perspectives continue to add richly to development efforts today. During periods of incremental improvement, landscape ecologists have drawn from other disciplines to create new seedbeds for ideas. While many trajectories may emerge, there is no rule that only one must become dominant. Blending multiple perspectives and ideas together into mutually supportive structures is helping the field move beyond the status quo.

Biodiversity of Old-growth Coniferous Forests in the Ural Mountains

Due to a steadily growing human-induced impact on the biosphere, natural biological diversity preservation and support for forest ecosystems and their dynamics forecast is one of the most urgent global issues. The aim of our research was to identify geographical and landscape diversity features of the mountain forests of the South and the Middle Urals (Russia) based on forest typology, landscape ecology and vegetation science approaches. As a result of the long-term research (1991–2017), quantitative data on biological diversity of old-growth coniferous forests were obtained. Productivity and species saturation of the subordinated layer was studied. It was established that a diversity of forest vegetation conditions and an ecotone effect lead to modern forest type diversity. The research has complemented data on forest types with information on productivity and species saturation for a herb and shrub layer of nominally primary forests. A natural biodiversity level required to preserve natural ecosystem stability was identified. The minimum values are revealed at steep slopes and upper mountains, both in the Southern, and the Middle Urals. The largest species saturation is revealed in lower smooth slopes for moss spruce forests of the Southern Urals and for Multi-herb pine forest of the Middle Urals. The carried-out analysis has shown the advantages for joint use of forest typology, landscape ecology and floristic analysis methods for forest vegetation research. The conducted work forms a scientific basis for biodiversity preservation of the Ural mountain forests, their regional and landscape dynamics research, justified forecast of forest resource conditions.

Characterizing urban redevelopment process by quantifying thermal dynamic and landscape analysis

Urban redevelopment practices have received substantial attention in urban planning. Remotely sensed thermal infrared monitoring of urban heat island (UHI) is a well-documented topic, however, there is a lack of understanding of the influence on UHI change caused by urban redevelopment process. The objectives of this study was to investigate the urban redevelopment-induced efforts incorporating remote sensing of UHI and land use change. Multi-temporal ASTER thermal infrared images were employed to characterize UHI change; and high resolution Worldview images were employed to perform land use classification. UHI dynamic was quantified with urban heat island ratio index. Analysis of urban redevelopment-induced land use change with response to UHI were carried out. Landscape ecology methods were employed to quantitatively identify land use change with landscape metrics. Result demonstrated that UHI effect had a trend of mitigation during urban redevelopment process in the study area. Urban heat island intensity could be significantly eliminated or weakened by changes of land use composition and spatial configuration. These phenomena were closely related to redevelopment practices such as industrial relocation, buildings demolition, and brownfield transformation. This article presented a case study for characterizing urban redevelopment process with remote sensing monitoring, quantifying the change with urban heat island ratio index and landscape ecology analysis, research findings could be utilized as indicators for urban planning.

Amplification of Anthropogenic Pressure Heavily Hampers Natural Ecosystems Regeneration within the Savanization Halo Around Lubumbashi City (Democratic Republic of Congo)

Located in the south-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), Lubumbashi city is surrounded by a belt of savanna, referred to as “savanization halo†, where rare miombo woodland patches could be spotted. This study evaluated the impact of anthropogenic activities on changes in the spatio-temporal pattern within that savanization halo between 2002 and 2017. A mapping approach coupled with landscape ecology analysis tools enabled highlighting both the diagnosis of land cover changes and the processes underlying the spatio-temporal dynamics. Results globally attested that the savanization halo was in constant mutation from 2002 to 2017. Importantly, it was apparent that the dissection, fragmentation and attrition of miombo was amplified by the creation and aggregation of savanna and built-up-bare land complex. Wetland attrition was found to be an additional manifestation of natural ecosystem degradation, with the resulting bare soils suggested as being flooded through the creation of waterbody patches. Agricultural and infrastructural development, supported by rapid population growth, no longer allows natural formations (forest and wetland) to recover from disturbances. It is important to reverse the current trend towards complete anthropization within the savanization halo through selective protection of natural ecosystems according to their values.

Tomsk District Landscape Recreational-Ecological Assessment as an Important Part of Efficient Tourism Development in the Region

The article presents a Tomsk region landscape recreational-ecological assessment on the basis of the landscape components recreational and ecological analysis (relief, water bodies, soil and vegetation cover). As a result, relatively favorable and unfavorable landscape types were allocated for the tourism development in the research region.

Study of the Spatiotemporal Variation Characteristics of Forest Landscape Patterns in Shanghai from 2004 to 2014 Based on Multisource Remote Sensing Data

The landscape patterns of urban forests not only reflect the influence of urbanization on urban forests, but also determines its function in urban ecosystem services. In the case of mastering the overall forest landscape pattern of a city, a study of the structure of urban forest landscapes at different scales and in urbanized regions is beneficial to a comprehensive understanding of the forest characteristics of a city. In the present study, an attempt was made to map and monitor the spatio-temporal dynamics of an urban forest in Shanghai from 2004 to 2014 using remote sensing techniques. Methods of landscape ecology analysis are followed to quantify the spatiotemporal patterns of an urban forest landscape by urban and rural gradient regionalization. The results show that the spatial structure of an urban forest landscape is essentially consistent with an urban landscape pattern. Due to strong interference from human activities, the ecological quality of forest landscapes is low. At the landscape level, the urban forest coverage rate increased from 11.43% in 2004 to 16.02% in 2014, however, the number of large patches decreased, there was a high degree of urban forest landscape fragmentation, landscape connectivity was poor, landscape patch boundaries were uniform, and weak links were present between ecological processes. Different urban and rural gradient division methods exhibit obvious gradient characteristics along the urban–rural gradient in Shanghai. The regional differences in the urban forest landscape ecological characteristics have further increased as a result of urban planning and zoning. The total amount of urban forest is located closer to the urban center, which has the smallest total amount of forest; however, in terms of urban forest coverage, the suburbs have more coverage than do the outer suburbs and the central urban areas. The urban forest landscape’s spatial distribution area is evidently different. Urbanization affects the areas closest to urban residential areas, which are markedly disturbed by humans, and the urban forest landscape has a high degree of fragmentation. The forest patches have become divided and unconnected, and the degree of natural connectivity has gradually decreased over the past 10 years. At the landscape class level, broadleaf forests are dominant in Shanghai, and their area exhibits an increasing trend; shrublands and needleleaf forests, however, show a decreasing trend. Compared with other forest types, the spatial distribution of broadleaf forest is concentrated in the suburbs, and the aggregation effect is relatively apparent. From the perspective of urban forest landscape pattern aggregation characteristics in Shanghai, the spatial distribution of urban forest landscape point patterns in the study area exhibit extremely uneven characteristics. The point density of urban forest patches larger than 1 ha in Shanghai increased from 2004 to 2014. However, the total number of patches with areas larger than 5 ha decreased, and this decrease plays an important role in the ecological environment. In the past 10 years, the concentration characteristics of urban forests with large patches has gradually decreased. In 2014, the urban forest landscapes decreased by 5 km compared to the intensity of aggregates in 2004, which also indicates that urban forests in Shanghai tend to be fragmented. The results of this study can be useful to help improve urban residents’ living environments and the sustainable development of the urban ecosystem, and they will also be vital to future management.

INTRODUCTION TO EXPERIMENTAL GEOECOLOGY: RESULTS OF A SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY

The article presents the author’s concept of experimental geographical ecology and describes its core—landscape ecology—as well as the author’s empirical–statistical models and derived ecological–geographical concepts, which reveal the mechanisms by which landscape–ecological systems form at the regional and local levels, their natural and anthropogenic dynamics, and evolutionary trends. Landscape–ecological analysis is carried out with specific examples involving a large body of factual material and applying methods that empirically imitate calculated forecasted situations.

Methodological framework for assessment of anthropogenic impact on the biodiversity of soil-biotic communities of taiga and steppe ecosystems in the Baikal region

Landscape-ecological analysis of soil invertebrate’s communities and their spatial distribution in the Baikal Region was carried out on the local (biogeocenotic), topological (facies) and regional levels. The paper considers Methodological Framework for Assessment of transformation of communities’ structure and biodiversity under the influence of natural: phytocenotic (peculiarities of vegetation), edaphical and climatic (hydrothermal regime of the soil) conditions and anthropogenic factors: the removal of the wood as a result of deforestation, fires, irrational use of pastures, technogenic pollution, recreation and others. Peculiarities of structures of invertebrate’s communities and their changes due to the climate change and anthropogenic impacts can serve as one of diagnostic criteria of soil conditions and can be used for estimation of an extent of landscape’s transformation and for monitoring. In the spectrum of states of the taxonomic diversity of landscape units, three main categories of situations are distinguished: critical, conflict and relatively satisfactory. The main trend of changes in taxonomic diversity of invertebrate’s communities is a decrease in the species number in the gradient of an increase of climate aridity, and strengthening of the hypothermal character and anthropogenic pressure.

Geographical and environmental research of transboundary territories: results and prospects

The study of transboundary territories is an urgent and complex issue of geography since currently there is no well-developed methodology for studying these objects and there are only sectoral approaches to those. The landscape-ecological analysis of transboundary territories with their own characteristic set of relationships between man and nature should be based on a systematic approach that allows the geographical objects with different intersystem connections to be studied. From the point of view of system approach, the object of the study is a set of transboundary systems. In addition, the study of transboundary territories is possible due to the complexity of the study which is based on the landscape theory, the V.B. Sochava’s theory of dynamics and evolution of geosystems, methods of ecological zoning.

The Main Agroecological Structure (MAS) of the Agroecosystems: Concept, Methodology and Applications

This document presents the concept of the Main Agroecological Structure of agroecosystems (MAS) from the perspective of environmental thinking (ecosystem-culture relationships) and considered as a dissipative cultural structure. It discusses the possible applications of this concept (resilience, production, diversity) both inside and outside the farms. The potential MAS can be useful in the planning processes of the farms because it allows the quantification of the internal and external corridors, including natural vegetation. At the same time, it can be an important tool in the context of landscape management because it shows a series of cultural relations (economic, social, symbolic and technological) that are normally overlooked by the partial analysis of landscape ecology.