Introduction

The realization of strategies for sustainable land use assumes specificresearch concepts from the local to the global scale (micro-, meso- andmacroscale). Therefore, landscape ecological science has to provideinvestigation methods for all these different scales. By combiningtop-down and bottom-up approaches in addition tocoupled GIS-model applications and traditional methods, the investigation oflandscape ecological structures and processes seems to be possible. Thepresented studies show this approach on examples of two study areas in EasternGermany: A watershed of 400 km² and an administrativedistrict of about 4000 km². The scale-specificapplicability of several models and methods were tested for theseinvestigations, and the validation of the calculated results are presented. Animportant outcome of the project should be the prevention of conflicts betweenagriculture, water management and soil, and water and nature conservation;based onrecommendations for land use variants with decreased pollutant loading withinagricultural areas. The scale specific investigations can be considered as abase for establishing sustainable land use.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

From Hiking Through Farmland to Farming in a Leisure Landscape: Changing Social Perceptions of the European Landscape

The idea that landscape has been created by human activities on a biophysical basis allows for clear cause–effect reasoning. However, landscape planning and management practice learns that it is impossible to neglect the social perception of landscape, i.e. the ways people think about nature and landscape. It is the result of social research and human sciences of the last decade that a differentiation in views of nature and landscape can be identified in the different groups of social actors in the landscape. Case studies from France and the Netherlands show a marked change in values attributed to nature and landscape in the end of the last century. Social demand for landscape is growing and a shift from a functional image of nature and landscape to a more hedonistic image like the Arcadian and wilderness images has taken place. Comparing the Netherlands with France and rural with urban inhabitants, the influence of urbanisation is evident in this process. It is further shown that images of nature vary considerably between for example farmers, urban residents, hunters and conservationists. The way people perceive landscape seems determined by their functional ties with the landscape and the social praxis in which they encounter the landscape. It is concluded that the concept of landscape is nearer to the lifeworld of people than the abstract notions of nature and biodiversity. This implies a big challenge both for national and international landscape policies and for local landscape management initiatives to be developed, taking into due consideration both the material and immaterial nature of landscape.     

Landscape – What’s in it? Trends in European Landscape Science and Priority Themes for Concerted Research

Reflecting on the other papers in this special issue, this synopsis characterises some essential trends in European Landscape Ecology, including the challenges it is facing in society. It describes the various perspectives on the ‘contents’ of landscape that are currently being practiced, and especially considers the notion of ‘environment’ as something intrinsic to human activity. Landscape classification and typology are discussed in their potential but limited use for landscape science. The specificity of the European approach appears to be related to the large diversity of cultural landscapes, currently losing their functional ties with the land-use systems that had formed them. European landscape research reports show a large commitment to this decreasing diversity, a dedication characterised by a strong sense of ‘loss and grief’. On the other hand, it is concluded that European landscape research has a specific niche with a clear focus on applied landscape studies explicitly including people’s perceptions and images, as well as the participation of the public and stakeholders. Since globalisation tends to reinforce the detachment of people from their environment; an increased effort is needed to compensate for this effect, and therefore the consideration of the various dimensions of the landscape is today more pertinent than ever. Meeting the challenges of present landscapes, in the face of new multifunctional demands in old diverse landscapes, requires more than before the combination of various perspectives and methods, and of various scales of application, in order to design innovative and adaptive paths for the future.     

Soil salinity development in the yellow river delta in relation to groundwater dynamics

The Yellow River Delta occupies an important position in the global ecosystem because of its valuable wetland habitat resources for migratory birds on the Eastern Pacific migration route. However, it has suffered from severe land degradation because of soil salinization. This paper assesses the distribution maps of saline soils during the past two decades, using field observations at three points in time using remote sensing images for the same periods, in combination with spatial models. Soil salinization appears to have expanded from the coastline to inland areas of the Yelow River Delta at a surprising speed during that period. The spatio‐temporal dynamics of the groundwater table and total dissolved solids (TDS) during the last 20 years were analyzed using maps based on Kriging interpolation. Kriging helped substantially to improve the accurateness of the predicted values of soil salt content, using a random subsample of the observation points as validation basis. Correlation analysis of the spatial data revealed that the distribution and evolution of saline soils are closely related to the dynamics of groundwater: the aggravation of soil salinization is associated with a rising groundwater table and increasing TDS. Insufficient recharge of the groundwater with fresh surface water due to reduced Yellow River discharge and subsequent seawater intrusion are therefore serious environmental problems in the Yellow River Delta ecosystem. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The impact of European landscape transitions on the provision of landscape services: an explorative study using six cases of rural land change

Landscape Ecology - The reasons for recent landscape change in the European countryside are complex and poorly substantiated. Identification of drivers of landscape transition and assessment of the...     

Setting targets in strategies for river restoration

Since about 90% of the natural floodplain area of rivers in Europe has been reclaimed and now lacks river dynamics, nature rehabilitation along rivers is of crucial importance for the restoration of their natural function. Flood protection, self-purification of surface water, groundwater recharge, species protection and migration are all involved in this process. It is now generally recognised that rivers form natural arteries in Europe but are also of economic importance and are recognisable cultural landscape. Many examples are already available of successful small river restoration projects. Several species thought to be extinct have now reappeared and characteristic species have also expanded in recent years. This paper concentrates on the concept of setting targets for river restoration as exemplified by the Meuse River. A modelling exercise shows the restraints of current habitat configuration and the potential for habitat restoration along the river. A policy analysis, using a strategic approach, illustrates the influence of the decision making process on the targets for natural river development. River dynamics play a key factor in determining the potential for persistent populations of target animal species along the river, with the help of an expert system (LARCH, Landscape ecological Analysis and Rules for the Configuration of Habitat). The potentials for the increase of dispersion and biodiversity and the maximisation of ecological benefits at different scales, are also considered.