Landscape characteristics of disturbed shrubsteppe habitats in southwestern Idaho (U.S.A.)

We compared 5 zones in shrubsteppe habitats of southwestern Idaho to determine the effect of differing disturbance combinations on landscapes that once shared historically similar disturbance regimes. The primary consequence of agriculture, wildfires, and extensive fires ignited by the military during training activities was loss of native shrubs from the landscape. Agriculture created large square blocks on the landscape, and the landscape contained fewer small patches and more large shrub patches than non-agricultural areas. In contrast, fires left a more fragmented landscape. Repeated fires did not change the distribution of patch sizes, but decreased the total area of remaining shrublands and increased the distance between remaining shrub patches that provide seed sources. Military training with tracked vehicles was associated with a landscape characterized by small, closely spaced, shrub patches.Our results support the general model hypothesized for conversion of shrublands to annual grasslands by disturbance. Larger shrub patches in our region, historically resistant to fire spread and large-scale fires because of a perennial bunchgrass understory, were more fragmented than small patches. Presence of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), an exotic annual, was positively related to landscape patchiness and negatively related to number of shrub cells. Thus, cheatgrass dominance can contribute to further fragmentation and loss of the shrub patch by facilitating spread of subsequent fires, carried by continuous fuels, through the patch. The synergistic processes of fragmentation of shrub patches by disturbance, invasion and subsequent dominance by exotic annuals, and fire are converting shrubsteppe in southwestern Idaho to a new state dominated by exotic annual grasslands and high fire frequencies.     

A framework for environmental management planning — A landscape-ecological approach

Framework, concepts, and methods of Environmental Management Planning (EMP) are discussed. A landscape-ecological approach was taken to integrate the environmental indices. EMP focuses on regional factors- natural, social, amenity related — and becomes more sensitive as the scale of study increases. The processes of EMP include a vertical aspect, dealing with pollution, conservation, and amenities, and a more general horizontal component which involves zoning and land use planning. Environmental impacts may be assessed by modeling exercises using all available data and considering all land use options. To keep up with the rapid change of environment and its perception, EMP should be process-oriented rather than purpose-oriented. The concepts of EMP were applied to the middle basin of the Tamagawa River and it was shown that mulvariate analysis is useful for the regional subdivision and environmental modeling.     

Neutral models for the analysis of broad-scale landscape pattern

The relationship between a landscape process and observed patterns can be rigorously tested only if the expected pattern in the absence of the process is known. We used methods derived from percolation theory to construct neutral landscape models,i.e., models lacking effects due to topography, contagion, disturbance history, and related ecological processes. This paper analyzes the patterns generated by these models, and compares the results with observed landscape patterns. The analysis shows that number, size, and shape of patches changes as a function of p, the fraction of the landscape occupied by the habitat type of interest, and m, the linear dimension of the map. The adaptation of percolation theory to finite scales provides a baseline for statistical comparison with landscape data. When USGS land use data (LUDA) maps are compared to random maps produced by percolation models, significant differences in the number, size distribution, and the area/perimeter (fractal dimension) indices of patches were found. These results make it possible to define the appropriate scales at which disturbance and landscape processes interact to affect landscape patterns.     

Scaling of ‘landscapes’ in landscape ecology,or, landscape ecology from a beetle's perspective

Research performed on microlandscapes embodies the essence of landscape ecology by focusing on the ecological consequences of the mosaic structure of different landscape elements. As an illustration, observations and simulations were used to test whether the fractal structure of grassland microlandscapes affected the movement patterns of tenebrionid beeetles in natural environments. The significant tendency of beetles to avoid 1 m² cells with fractal dimensions of 1.85 to 1.89 (indicating the area-filling tendency of bare ground) demonstrated the role of landscape structure as a modifier of beetle movements or diffusion in heterogeneous landscapes. Experiments in microlandscapes may accelerate the development of quantitative conceptual frameworks applicable to landscapes at all scales.     

浑善达克沙地动态变化影响因素分析

通过景观的角度分析该区的动态变化影响因素可知,气温升高和降水量减少是荒 漠化景观发展的基础和背景条件,超载过牧是荒漠化景观发展的主要原因,至于其他因素如滥 砍、滥伐、滥垦、滥挖药材、搂发菜、樵采等起了推波助澜的作用。     

园林中老人活动空间人性化设计浅析

从老年人的生理、心理特点出发,论述"以人为本"的设计思想在老人活动空间设计中的必要性,阐述了老人活动空间设计的主要要求及在构成要素设计中应注意的问题。     

基于多利益相关者视角的耕地利用与保护研究

研究目的:了解不同利益群体对当地耕地利用的看法,明确当地耕地利用中存在的主要问题。研究方法:以山西省宁武县上余庄村为例,在遥感影像解译的基础上结合实地调查得到当地的土地利用现状以及耕地利用状况,采用"参与式农村评估"的方法,从农民、技术人员和基层管理人员等多利益相关者的角度分析耕地利用出现的问题及他们的看法。研究结果:(1)研究区域耕地面积为90.91hm2,占土地总面积的18.3%,但其中撂荒地有15hm2左右,约占到了耕地面积的15%,表明虽然耕地从总量上保持了动态平衡,但实际耕作率却在下降;(2)无论是农民、技术人员和管理人员,对本地的耕地利用情况都不满意。耕地撂荒的主要原因是种地不挣钱,其次是土地沙化难以耕种;耕地减少的主要原因是退耕还林,耕地退化。研究结论:参与式农村评估方法可以获得不同利益群体的看法和意见,是研究土地利用与保护的一个有力工具。     

基于GIS和景观生态学的西部地区城镇建设用地扩展研究——以宝鸡市中心城区为例

近些年,城镇建设用地的大规模扩张对区域土地资源承载力形成了巨大压力,并导致了大量土地资源的闲置浪费。为了实现土地资源的集约化利用,文中结合GIS和景观生态学的研究方法对宝鸡市1988～2005年中心城区城镇建设用地扩展类型进行定量识别。结果表明:1)近些年,宝鸡市中心城区城镇建设用地扩展经历了缓慢扩展期(1988～2000年)和高速扩展期(2000～2005年)两个阶段;2)在斑块类型水平上,城镇建设用地表现出较好的连通性,并且呈增强趋势;3)外延式扩展是研究期内城镇建设用地扩展的主要类型,扩展比重为外延式>填充式>跳跃式。通过研究为城市空间规划提供了详细而准确的数据,为寻求优良扩张模式奠定了一定的基础。     

快速城市化背景下天津市城市景观格局时空动态分析

以Landsat卫星TM影像为数据源,选取天津市中心城区及环城四区(北辰区、西青区、东丽区、津南区)为研究对象,利用RS和GIS等技术手段,通过梯度带和梯度方向分析,对研究区2000、2005和2010年的城市景观格局及其变化进行了定量研究。结果表明:文中采用的景观指数能够准确地反映城市空间特征及其动态变化,10年间天津市中心城区及环城四区景观格局变化较大,城市化较高区域主要以建设用地为主,尤以外环附近建设用地增长最快,并出现不断向外转移的趋势,具体扩张方向以东南和西侧为主,主要归因于天津市城市规划政策和经济发展等因素的影响,面对快速城市化的响应,区域绿地/农田与河流/湖泊用地遭到大范围侵占,两个时期变化强度中,2005～2010年变化最大,且最高强度值不断向滨海方向转移。