Multi-scale mapping of cultural ecosystem services in a socio-ecological landscape: A case study of the international Wadden Sea Region

Landscape Ecology - The governance of international natural World Heritage sites is extremely challenging. In the search for effective multilevel governance there is a need to identify the...     

Effects of landscape configuration on mapping ecosystem service capacity: a review of evidence and a case study in Scotland

Context

Humans structure landscapes for the production of food, fibre and fuel, commonly resulting in declines of non-provisioning ecosystem services (ESs). Heterogeneous landscapes are capable of providing multiple ESs, and landscape configuration—spatial arrangement of land cover in the landscape—is expected to affect ES capacity. However, the majority of ES mapping studies have not accounted for landscape configuration.

Objectives

Our objective is to assess and quantify the relevance of configuration for mapping ES capacity. A review of empirical evidence for configuration effects on the capacity of ten ESs reveals that for four ESs configuration is relevant but typically ignored in ES quantification. For four ESs we quantify the relevance of configuration for mapping ESs using Scotland as a case study.

Methods

Each ES was quantified through modelling, respectively ignoring or accounting for configuration. The difference in ES capacity between the two ES models was determined at multiple spatial scales.

Results

Configuration affected the capacity of all four ESs mapped, particularly at the cell and watershed scale. At the scale of Scotland most local effects averaged out. Flood control and sediment retention responded strongest to configuration. ESs were affected by different aspects of configuration, thus requiring specific methods for mapping each ES.

Conclusions

Accounting for configuration is important for the assessment of certain ESs at the cell and watershed scale. Incorporating configuration in landscape management provides opportunities for spatial optimization of ES capacity, but the diverging response of ESs to configuration suggests that accounting for configuration involves trade-offs between ESs.

     

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.     

From job training to green jobs: A case study of a young adult employment program centered on environmental restoration in New York City,USA

The demand for a well-trained green-collar labor force will increase as many cities implement sustainability and green infrastructure plans. Additionally, many green jobs training programs are intended to provide pathways out of poverty for low-skilled workers. In this case study, we analyze the experiences of graduates from a New York City, USA green jobs training program targeting 18–24 year olds previously disconnected from the workforce as they transition to full-time employment. Graduates of the program work directly in arboriculture, ecological restoration, landscape design, and horticulture. Despite the well-documented benefits of nature on individual socio-psychological well-being, scant research has investigated the effects of working professionally in urban natural resources management. Our findings reveal the significant challenges facing training program graduates and their supervisors, but also the benefits of urban conservation job training and employment that are potentially transformational for these economically disadvantaged young adults. Green job training and employment present real opportunities for intellectual stimulation and an increased sense of accomplishment, due in part to the uniqueness of environmental work. Individuals reported positive environmental attitudes and behaviors as a result of green jobs training and employment.     

Scaling up ecosystem productivity from patch to landscape: a case study of Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve,China

Scaling up ecosystem processes from plots to landscapes is essential for understanding landscape structure and functioning as well as for assessing ecological impacts of land use and climate change. This study illustrates an upscaling approach to studying the spatiotemporal pattern of ecosystem processes in the Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve in northeastern China by integrating simulation modeling, GIS, remote sensing data, and field-based observations. The ecosystem model incorporated processes of energy transfer, plant physiology, carbon dynamics, and water cycling. Using a direct extrapolation scheme, the patch-level ecosystem model was scaled up to quantify the landscape-level pattern of primary productivity and the carbon source-sink relationship. The simulated net primary productivity (NPP) for the entire landscape, consisting of several ecosystem types, was 0.680 kg C m⁻² yr⁻¹. The most widely distributed ecosystem type in this region was the mixed broad-leaved and Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) forest, which had the highest NPP (1.084 kg C m⁻² yr⁻¹). The total annual NPP for all ecosystem types combined was estimated to be 1.332 Mt C yr⁻¹. These results suggest that the Changbai Mountain landscape as a whole was a carbon sink, with a net carbon sequestration rate of about 0.884 Mt C yr⁻¹ for the study period. The simulated NPP agreed reasonably well with available field measurements at a number of locations within the study landscape. Our study provides new insight into the relationship between landscape pattern and ecosystem processes, and useful information for improving management practices in the Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve, which is one of the most important forested landscapes in China. Several research needs are discussed to further refine the modeling approach and reduce prediction uncertainties.     

Spatial vegetation patterns as early signs of desertification: a case study of a desert steppe in Inner Mongolia,China

Proper assessment and early detection of land degradation and desertification is extremely important in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. Recent research has proposed to use the characteristics of spatial vegetation patterns, such as parameters derived from power-law modeling of vegetation patches, for detecting the early signs of desertification. However, contradictory results have been reported regarding the suitability of those proposed indicators. We used an experiment with multiple grazing intensities as an analog of a desertification gradient and evaluated the performance of two predictors of desertification: percent plant cover and a transition from a patch-area distribution characterized by a power law to another portrayed by a truncated power law, in a desert steppe in Inner Mongolia, China. We found that spatial metrics, such as the largest patch index and coefficient of variation of mean patch area had negative linear relationships with grazing intensity, suggesting that vegetation patches became more fragmented and homogeneous under higher grazing pressure. Using a binning-based method to analyze our dataset, we found that the patch-area relationship deviated from a power-law to a truncated power-law model with increasing grazing pressure, while the truncated power law was a better fit than the power law for all plots when binning was not used. These results suggest that the selection of methodology is crucial in using power-law models to detect changes in vegetation patterns. Plant cover was significantly correlated with stocking rate and all spatial metrics evaluated; however, the relationship between cover and vegetation spatial pattern still deserves a thorough examination, especially in other types of ecosystems, before using cover as a universal early sign of desertification. Our results highlight a strong connection between the vegetation spatial pattern and the desertification associated with heavy grazing and suggest that future studies should incorporate information about vegetation spatial pattern in monitoring desertification processes.     

Regional patterns of riparian characteristics in the interior Columbia River basin, Northwestern USA: applications for restoration planning

Recent declines in anadromous Pacific salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.) have been attributed, in part, to degradation of freshwater habitat. Because riparian areas directly affect instream habitat, assessing riparian characteristics is essential for predicting salmon habitat quality and for prioritizing restoration projects. We quantified land use modification of anadromous fish-bearing streams in the interior Columbia River basin at multiple resolutions. We identified riparian areas in several land use and land cover classes using remotely sensed data. We then interpreted aerial photographs at random locations within each class to quantify riparian modifications at a local (stream reach) scale. Riparian areas in agricultural and urban areas were significantly narrower (~30 m, median) than those in forested or shrub/grass areas (~70 m). The largest proportion of modified riparian areas occurred in low-gradient streams with floodplains in semi-arid ecoregions. Riparian vegetation in these areas is unlikely to provide adequate in-stream functions, making these areas a natural starting point for restoration prioritization. We investigated how existing riparian restoration projects were spatially related to riparian land use and found that restoration effort varied among subwatersheds. Effective strategies for restoring high quality salmon habitat will be watershed-specific and must restore natural watershed processes. By using a hierarchical analysis to identify regional strategies, restoration or conservation activity can be focused in specific basins and thereby increase the likelihood that efforts will significantly improve habitat conditions for listed salmonids.     

A method for locating potential tree-planting sites in urban areas: A case study of Los Angeles, USA

A GIS-based method for locating potential tree-planting sites based on land cover data is introduced. Criteria were developed to identify locations that are spatially available for potential tree planting based on land cover, sufficient distance from impervious surfaces, a minimum amount of pervious surface, and no crown overlap with other trees. In an ArcGIS environment, a computer program was developed to iteratively search, test, and locate potential tree-planting sites by virtually planting large, medium and small trees on plantable areas, with large trees given priority as more benefits are expected to accrue to them. A study in Los Angeles, USA found 2.2 million potential planting sites, approximately 109.3 km² of potential tree canopy cover.     

Impacts of changing climate and land use on vegetation dynamics in a Mediterranean ecosystem: insights from paleoecology and dynamic modeling

Forests near the Mediterranean coast have been shaped by millennia of human disturbance. Consequently, ecological studies relying on modern observations or historical records may have difficulty assessing natural vegetation dynamics under current and future climate. We combined a sedimentary pollen record from Lago di Massacciucoli, Tuscany, Italy with simulations from the LandClim dynamic vegetation model to determine what vegetation preceded intense human disturbance, how past changes in vegetation relate to fire and browsing, and the potential of an extinct vegetation type under present climate. We simulated vegetation dynamics near Lago di Massaciucoli for the last 7,000 years using a local chironomid-inferred temperature reconstruction with combinations of three fire regimes (small infrequent, large infrequent, small frequent) and three browsing intensities (no browsing, light browsing, and moderate browsing), and compared model output to pollen data. Simulations with low disturbance support pollen-inferred evidence for a mixed forest dominated by Quercus ilex (a Mediterranean species) and Abies alba (a montane species). Whereas pollen data record the collapse of A. alba after 6000 cal yr bp, simulated populations expanded with declining summer temperatures during the late Holocene. Simulations with increased fire and browsing are consistent with evidence for expansion by deciduous species after A. alba collapsed. According to our combined paleo-environmental and modeling evidence, mixed Q. ilex and A. alba forests remain possible with current climate and limited disturbance, and provide a viable management objective for ecosystems near the Mediterranean coast and in regions that are expected to experience a mediterranean-type climate in the future.     

Fuzzy k-means classification of topo-climatic data as an aid to forest mapping in the Greater Yellowstone Area, USA

Previous attempts to quantify topographic controls on vegetation have often been frustrated by issues concerning the number of variables of interest and the tendency of classification methods to create discrete classes though species have overlapping property sets (niches). Methods of fuzzy k-means classification have been used to address class overlap in ecological and geographical data but previously their usefulness has been limited when data sets are large or include artefacts that may occur through the derivation of topo-climatic attributes from gridded digital elevation models. This paper presents ways to overcome these limitations using GIS, spatial sampling methods, fuzzy k-means classification, and statistical modelling of the derived stream topology. Using data from a ca. 3600 km² forested site in the Greater Yellowstone Area, we demonstrate the creation of meaningful, spatially coherent topo-climatic classes through a fuzzy k-means classification of topo-climatic data derived from 100 m gridded digital elevation models (DEMs); these classes were successfully extrapolated to adjacent areas covering a total of ca. 10000 km². Independently derived land cover data and middle infrared corrected Landsat TM derived estimates of Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (M_NDVI) at 575 independently sampled sites were used to evaluate the topo-climatic classes and test their extrapolation to the larger area. Relations between topo-climatic classes and land cover were tested by ² analysis which demonstrated strong associations between topo-climatic class and 11 of the 15 cover classes. Relations between M_NDVI and topo-climatic classes proved to be stronger than relations between M_NDVI and the independent cover classes. We conclude that the fuzzy k-means procedure yields sensible and stable topo-climatic classes that can be used for the rapid mapping of large areas. The value of these methods for quantifying topographic controls on biodiversity and the strength of their relations with computed NDVI values warrant further investigation.     

Mitigating surface urban heat island by a tree protection policy: A case study of The Woodland,Texas, USA

The Woodlands Township, TX, has a tree protection policy that consists of tree removal permits and minimum tree and shrub cover regulations. This paper examined the effect of The Woodlands’ tree protection policy on surface urban heat island (SUHI) at the neighborhood scale by comparing the mean land surface temperatures (LSTs) derived from 37 thermal infrared bands of Landsat TM images between The Woodlands’ neighborhoods and nearby control neighborhoods without such a policy. To rule out the effect of confounding factors that may influence LSTs, the control neighborhoods were selected to be similar in physical and socioeconomic status to The Woodlands’ neighborhoods. LSTs of The Woodlands’ neighborhoods were, on average, 1.5–3.9 °C lower than those of the control neighborhoods. The cooling effect of The Woodlands’ tree protection policy was more prominent in summer when SUHI mitigation was mostly needed. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that a local tree protection policy is effective in mitigating SUHI at the neighborhood scale.     

Temporal shifts in landscape connectivity for an ecosystem engineer,the roe deer,across a multiple-use landscape

Context

Routine movements of large herbivores, often considered as ecosystem engineers, impact key ecological processes. Functional landscape connectivity for such species influences the spatial distribution of associated ecological services and disservices.

Objectives

We studied how spatio-temporal variation in the risk-resource trade-off, generated by fluctuations in human activities and environmental conditions, influences the routine movements of roe deer across a heterogeneous landscape, generating shifts in functional connectivity at daily and seasonal time scales.

Methods

We used GPS locations of 172 adult roe deer and step selection functions to infer landscape connectivity. In particular, we assessed the influence of six habitat features on fine scale movements across four biological seasons and three daily periods, based on variations in the risk-resource trade-off.

Results

The influence of habitat features on roe deer movements was strongly dependent on proximity to refuge habitat, i.e. woodlands. Roe deer confined their movements to safe habitats during daytime and during the hunting season, when human activity is high. However, they exploited exposed open habitats more freely during night-time. Consequently, we observed marked temporal shifts in landscape connectivity, which was highest at night in summer and lowest during daytime in autumn. In particular, the onset of the autumn hunting season induced an abrupt decrease in landscape connectivity.

Conclusions

Human disturbance had a strong impact on roe deer movements, generating pronounced spatio-temporal variation in landscape connectivity. However, high connectivity at night across all seasons implies that Europe’s most abundant and widespread large herbivore potentially plays a key role in transporting ticks, seeds and nutrients among habitats.

     

Land use change and ecosystem services provision: a case study of recreation and ecotourism opportunities in southern Chile

Land use and cover change (LUCC) is among the most important factors affecting ecosystem services. This study examines the influence of LUCC on recreation and ecotourism opportunities over three decades in southern Chile. An in-depth analysis of the transition matrix was conducted based on Landsat images from 1976, 1985, 1999 and 2007. Main LUCC trajectories were linked to two ecosystem service indicators: (i) Recreation and ecotourism potential, measured in a 0–100 point scale; and (ii) Recreation and ecotourism opportunities, measured in visitors/ha. A total of 900 trajectories occurred in the landscape between 1976 and 2007. The most important trajectories in terms of area, were the recent degradation of old-growth to secondary forest between 1999 and 2007 (23,290 ha; 13.5 % of landscape), and the early clearing of shrublands for agriculture and pasture land between 1976 and 1985 (7,187 ha, 4.2 % of landscape). In turn, the single most influential trajectory on the magnitude of the indicators was early and permanent degradation of old-growth forest to secondary forest. As a result of these landscape changes, recreation and ecotourism opportunities for the entire landscape were reduced from 65,050 persons in 1976 to 25,038 persons in 1985, further declining to 22,346 and 21,608 persons in 1999 and 2007, respectively. This decrease resulted from changes in specific attributes (i.e. emblematic flora and fauna and forest structure) that were affected by forest degradation and fragmentation. These results highlight the substantial impact of LUCC on recreation opportunity decline, which mirrors biodiversity losses in the study area.     

Effect of different personal histories on valuation for forest ecosystem services in urban areas: A case study of Mt. Rokko,Kobe, Japan

This study investigated the effect of valuators’ personal history and beliefs on valuation of ecosystem services around Mt. Rokko, which is located near Kobe, a major city in Japan. Special attention was paid to how differences in lifestyle, access to nature, and experiences during childhood influence willingness to pay (WTP) for peri-urban ecosystem conservation. The estimated values (median: 1858 JPY) were relatively higher than in previous case studies including one on the World Heritage forest in the country, but the value was not outlier of the literature. From the simple model estimation, we focused on the effect of individual differences. The full model including information of personal experience with nature revealed differences in WTP among residents. The basic characteristics of age and income were found to have a significant effect. Interestingly, it was also found that certain experiences during childhood had a significant effect on increasing WTP for ecosystem and biodiversity conservation. These findings suggest the importance of considering the diversity of valuators in ecosystem valuation studies under urbanization processes, and it also warns the extinction of experience with nature under on going urbanization for urban ecosystem conservation.     

Evaluating the supply-demand relationship for urban green parks in Beijing from an ecosystem service flow perspective

The mismatch between the spatial patterns of urban green parks (UGP) and population in urban areas is a common phenomenon in Chinese cities and elsewhere. Whether and to what extent such mismatch may impact the realization of Ecosystem Service (ES) provided by the former remain unclear. Stemming from the Ecosystem Service Flow (ESF) perspective, this paper argues that the distance-decay effects and spatial heterogeneity in the propagation process of the ESF with different conveyors may render the various types of ES demonstrating different location sensitivity in both provision and realization terms. We then present an “is-ought” framework for analyzing the supply-demand relationship of ES, which features deductively obtained ES provision potential and empirically observed ES realization, both are spatially explicitly mapped. Refined ontological and distance-decay modeling methods and mobile signaling data were introduced to implement the framework taking Beijing as a case. For the two typical types of ES in urban environments, the recreational and thermoregulating services, we find that there indeed exists under- or over-supply of ES along the center-periphery gradient of the city. The findings have policy implications for the planning and management of UGP.     

Using spatial analysis to drive reserve design: a case study of a national wildlife refuge in Indiana and Illinois (USA)

Our refuge design strategy involves a landscape approach formulated to complement existing management efforts and employ restoration in the heavily degraded Kankakee River watershed in northeastern Indiana and northwestern Illinois. The watershed historically contained an approximately 400,000 ha wetland (Grand Marsh), a diverse riverine system, oak savanna, and prairie. Today only fragments of these habitats remain. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service developed a preliminary project proposal (PPP) during the summer of 1996 to protect and restore habitat within the watershed by establishing the Grand Kankakee Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. The Indiana and Illinois Gap Analysis projects provided the resources to move beyond the expert workshop approach to a data-driven method for initial reserve design. Using visual analysis of various Gap Analysis data layers, we established Focus Areas that formed the basis for the Environmental Assessment and the Economic Impact Study required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). We have initiated Phase II of the reserve design analysis using preliminary results of the Indiana Gap Analysis project and C-Plan software in conjunction with the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service.     

Opportunities and challenges for mainstreaming ecosystem services in development planning: perspectives from a landscape level

Despite much progress in ecosystem services research, a gap still appears to exist between this research and the implementation of landscape management and development activities on the ground, especially within a developing country context. If ecosystem service science is to be operationalised and used by decision-makers directing local development, an in-depth understanding of the implementation context for landscape planning and management, and of the opportunities and challenges for ecosystem services in this context are needed. Very little is known about these opportunities and constraints, largely because of the absence of methods to explore the complexity of the landscape planning, management and implementation context and the possibilities of integrating scientific information into these processes within a real-world setting. This study aims to address this need for information and methods, by focusing on a region in South Africa with a long history of ecosystem service research and stakeholder engagement, and testing a social science approach to explore opportunities and challenges for integrating ecosystem services in landscape planning processes and policies. Our methodological approach recognises the importance of social processes and legitimacy in decision-making, emphasizing the need to engage with the potential end-users of ecosystem service research in order to ensure the relevance of the research. While we discovered challenges for mainstreaming ecosystem service at a local level, we also found strong opportunities in the multi-sectoral planning processes driving development and in how the concept of ecosystem services is framed and aligned with development priorities, especially those relating to disaster risk reduction.