A gradient analysis of urban landscape pattern: a case study from the Phoenix metropolitan region,Arizona, USA

Landscape Ecology - Urbanization is arguably the most dramatic form of land transformation that profoundly influences biological diversity and human life. Quantifying landscape pattern and its...     

Landscape planning for a rural ecosystem: case study of a resettlement area for residents from land submerged by the Three Gorges Reservoir,China

The goals of landscape planning are multiple for rural ecosystems of the resettlement area in the Hubei Province of China. They relate to the types, diversity and patterns of the ecosystems, and to the conservation of ecosystem functions and biodiversity. We were interested in the improvement of socio-economic conditions, and the promotion of the development of farmland ecosystems and natural forest ecosystems. The landscape planning took into account the conservation and the restoration of forestlands, and the reconstructions of farmlands, towns and villages. The areas of towns and villages were assigned by trade-off analysis balancing ecological, economic and social benefits. The spatial pattern of used lands was designed by a multi-criteria optimal spatial planning, resulting in the strengthening of some primary ecosystem functions. In the resettlement area forests will expand to a matrix, and cropland patches together with tree fences will form patch-corridor systems. Significant ecological, economic and social benefits can be derived from this landscape pattern.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Assessment of risks to habitat connectivity through the stepping-stone theory: A case study from Shenzhen,China

With the acceleration of urbanization, construction land is gradually expanding, leading to a loss of ecological land. This is increasing the risk of connectivity loss between important natural habitats. In this study, potential ecological corridors and stepping stones under ecological security patterns with different connectivity levels were identified according to the important habitats and resistance surfaces. We analyzed the development potential, vulnerability, and connectivity loss of a fragmented landscape using a support vector machine (SVM), a circuit theory model, and the “exposure-vulnerability-potential loss” framework. Four types of stepping stones that require protection were defined according to the risk structure and level. The results showed that there are 40 important habitats and 50 potential ecological corridors in the ecological security pattern. The SVM results indicated that the possibility of patch development is most sensitive to protection status (−0.923), followed by the slope (−0.770), and distance from the city (−0.210) and roads (−0.147). Additionally, the impact of railways (0.056) and night-time light (0.092) was limited. Elevation (0.267) had a positive effect on development. With an increased security level, the proportion of middle- and high-risk stepping stones gradually decreased, which means that the risk of connectivity loss under urban development can be reduced by creating a security pattern with a higher level and including more stepping-stone patches. Connectivity loss risk management can provide a reference for ecological control line revision and land use planning.