Functional heterogeneity in resources within landscapes and herbivore population dynamics

Large mammalian herbivores are notorious for their propensity towards population irruptions and crashes, yet many herbivore populations remain relatively stable. I explore how resource heterogeneity within landscapes dampens population instability, using a metaphysiological modelling approach considering patch state distributions. Resource heterogeneity is functionally stabilizing through spreading consumption away from preferred resources before these become critically depleted. Lower-quality resources act as a buffer against starvation during critical periods of the seasonal cycle. Enriching resource quality is destabilizing, even if patch diversity is maintained, because food quantity then becomes the limitation. The potential consequences of landscape fragmentation are explored using the Serengeti ecosystem, characterised by broadscale resource gradients, as a hypothetical example. Further insights provided by the model are illustrated with specific examples concerning the effects of patch scales and waterpoint distribution. A metaphysiological modelling approach enables the basic consequences of landscape heterogeneity to be distinguished from further effects that may arise from specific patch scales and configurations, without the distracting detail of spatially explicit models.     

Effects of area and isolation of woodland patches on herbaceous plant species richness across Great Britain

Richness of Ancient Woodland Indicator plant species was analysed in 308 woodland patches that were surveyed during the Countryside Survey of Great Britain carried out in 1998. The Countryside Survey recorded vegetation plots and landscape structure in 569 stratified 1 km sample squares and developed a remotely-sensed land cover map of the UK. Using these datasets, we tested the hypothesis that Ancient Woodland Indicator species richness in woodland fragments was limited by patch area, shape and spatial isolation and that woodland patches located in the lowland region of Great Britain would respond differently than those in the upland region. The variation in Ancient Woodland Indicator species richness in the British lowlands (n = 218) was mainly explained by patch area and two measures of connectivity, the length of hedgerows and lines of trees in the 1 km square and the area of woodland within 500 m of the vegetation plot. By contrast, variation in Ancient Woodland Indicator species richness in the British uplands (n = 90) was related to Ellenberg scores of the vegetation communities sampled – a surrogate for habitat quality – and no significant effect of spatial structure was detected. It therefore appears that the degree of fragmentation of woodland in the British lowlands limits the distribution of Ancient Woodland Indicator species, while in the uplands, failed colonisation is a matter of habitat quality rather than a result of landscape structure.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Modelling land cover transitions: A solution to the problem of spatial dependence in data

Raster-based spatial land cover transition models (LCTMs) are widely used in landscape ecology. However, many LCTMs do not account for spatial dependence of the input data, which may artificially fragment the output spatial configuration. We demonstrate the consequences of ignoring spatial dependence, thus assigning probabilities randomly in space, using a simple LCTM. We ran the model from four different initial conditions with distinct spatial configurations and results indicated that, after 20 simulation steps, all of them converged towards the spatial configuration of the random data set. From an ecological perspective this is a serious problem because ecological data often exhibit distinct spatial configuration related to ecological processes. As a solution, we propose an approach (region approach) that accounts for spatial dependence of LCTM input data. Underlying spatial dependence was used to apply spatial bias to probability assignment within the model. As a case study we applied a region approach to a Vegetation Transition Model (VTM); a semi-Markovian model that simulates forest succession. The VTM was applied to approximately 500,000 ha of boreal forest in Ontario, at 1 ha pixel resolution. When the stochastic transition algorithms were applied without accounting for spatial dependence, spatial configuration of the output data became progressively more fragmented. When the VTM was applied using the region approach to account for spatial dependence output fragmentation was reduced. Accounting for spatial dependence in transition models will create more reliable output for analyzing spatial patterns and relating those patterns to ecological processes.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Linking habitat suitability and seed dispersal models in order to analyse the effectiveness of hydrological fen restoration strategies

The effectiveness of measures targeted at the restoration of populations of endangered species in anthropogenically dominated regions is often limited by a combination of insufficient restoration of habitat quality and dispersal failure. Therefore, the joint prediction of suitable habitat and seed dispersal in dependency of management actions is required for effective nature management. Here we demonstrate an approach, which links a habitat suitability and a seed dispersal model. The linked model describes potential species distribution as a function of current species distribution, species-specific dispersal traits, the number of successful dispersal events, dispersal infrastructure and habitat configuration. The last two variables were related to water management actions. We demonstrate the applicability of the model in a strategy analysis of hydrological restoration measures for a large fen area in which still numerous endangered plant species grow.With the aid of the linked model, we were able to optimise the spatial planning of restoration measures, taking into account both the constraints of water management practices on abiotic restoration and the effects of habitat fragmentation on dispersal. Moreover, we could demonstrate that stand-alone habitat suitability models, which assume unlimited dispersal, may considerably overestimate restoration prospects. For these reasons, we conclude that linked habitat suitability and dispersal models can provide useful insights into spatially differentiated potentials and constraints of nature restoration measures targeted at the sustainable conservation of endangered plant populations whose habitats have been deteriorated due to undesirable effects of land and water management on abiotic conditions. These insights may contribute to the design of cost-effective nature restoration and conservation measures.     

Relative importance of habitat area and isolation for bird occurrence patterns in a naturally patchy landscape

There is debate among ecologists about whether total habitat area or patch arrangement contributes most to population and/or community responses to fragmented or patchy landscapes. We tested the relative effects of patch area and isolation for predicting bird occurrence in a naturally patchy landscape in the Bear River Mountains of Northern Utah, USA. We selected focal patches (mountain meadows) ranging in elevation from 1,920 to 2,860 m and in size from 0.6 to 182 ha. Breeding birds were sampled in each focal meadow during the summers of 2003 and 2004 using variable-distance point transects. Logistic regression and likelihood-based model selection were used to determine the relationship between likelihood of occurrence of three bird species (Brewer’s sparrow, vesper sparrow, and white-crowned sparrow) and area, isolation, and proximity metrics. We used model weights and model-averaged confidence intervals to assess the importance of each predictor variable. Plots of area versus isolation were used to evaluate complex relationships between the variables. We found that meadow area was the most important variable for explaining occurrence for two species, and that isolation was the most important for the other. We also found that the absolute distance was more appropriate for evaluating isolation responses than was the species-specific proximity metric. Our findings add clarity to the debate between ecologists regarding the relative importance of area and isolation in species responses to patchy landscapes.     

Fragmentation of leaf litter by a natural population of the millipede Julus scandinavius (Latzel 1884)

Summary The rate and degree of fragmentation of leaf litter by Julus scandinavius in a Sycamore/ash wood in Cheshire, England, were determined from the ratio of surface area of the leaf diet consumed by all individuals of each instar during the period when they were present on the surface area of leaf materials in the faecal pellets. Generally, the rate of fragmentation of leaf litter decreased in the series young instars sexed immature instars mature instars. The total degree of increase in the fragmentation of leaf litter by the population was 72×10⁶.     

基于GIS的农业景观格局变化研究——以福建省漳浦县马坪镇为例

应用GIS技术研究农业景观格局变化结果表明,福建省漳浦县马坪镇整体景观多样性指数降低,优势度指数和均匀度指数增加。景观类型变化显示生活和生产类景观不断增多,破碎化程度不断加大,而生态防护类景观不断减少,优势度指数下降,这种景观格局的变化与区域农业发展实际相吻合。     

三亚市10年间景观格局变化分析

为了充分了解热带滨海城市发展过程中景观变化特征及其影响因素,利用基于SPOT的影像数据,应用RS、GIS 软件和景观生态学方法,以海南省三亚市作为研究对象,分析了2002—2012 年三亚市土地利用及景观格局的动态变化情况。结果表明：（1）三亚市仍以耕地和阔叶林为主,建设用地大幅度增加,各土地利用类型有相互转移表现,2002—2012 年,水田面积减少了25.75%,水库/坑塘减少6.21%;草丛、建设用地和旱地面积分别增加143.16%、86.89%和10.20%;（2）运用景观格局指数和转移矩阵分析,得出研究区域景观斑块总体数量减少,说明这期间三亚景观破碎化趋势降低,主要由于人类活动的干扰不断加强,城市化进程加快使原来分散的乡镇村落等居民集中地聚集成片,转变为城市化建筑群,从而导致了研究区域景观破碎化程度的下降。     

景观生态格局分析在风景园林规划中的应用

景观生态格局模式强调景观空间格局对过程的控制和影响,并通过格局的改变来维持景观功能流的健康与安全。景观生态格局的研究方法有静态分析法和动态分析法。利用生态安全格局方法去建立整体性的生态基础设施是城市生态环境规划的基础,它为建设生态城市提供了理论基础和实践方法,可应用于分析城市的景观生态基本特征、城市的景观安全格局现状,规划城市景观生态格局。该研究以西安市为例,采用景观格局指数静态分析法分析了西安的生态环境及景观生态格局构成,归纳出西安市生态基质、廊道和斑块的分布及其特点,并就其中存在的基质形态破碎化、廊道人工化、建成区内斑块分散化问题进行了总结,以期为今后的西安市生态格局研究和完善提供理论基础。     

Identification of Landscape Elements Related to Local Declines of a Boreal Grey-sided Vole Population

Several studies indicate a long-term decline in numbers of different species of voles in northern Fennoscandia. In boreal Sweden, the long-term decline is most pronounced in the grey-sided vole (Clethrionomys rufocanus). Altered forest landscape structure has been suggested as a possible cause of the decline. However, habitat responses of grey-sided voles at the landscape scale have never been studied. We analyzed such responses of this species in lowland forests in Västerbotten, northern Sweden. Cumulated spring densities representing 22 local time series from 1980–1999 were obtained by a landscape sampling design and were related to the surrounding landscape structure of 2.5×2.5 km plots centred on each of the 22 1-ha trapping plots. In accordance with general knowledge on local habitat preferences of grey-sided voles, our study supported the importance of habitat variables such as boulder fields and old-growth pine forest at the landscape scale. Densities were negatively related to clear cuts. Habitat associations were primarily those of landscape structure related to habitat fragmentation, distance between habitat patches and patch interspersion rather than habitat patch type quantity. Local densities of the grey-sided vole were positively and exponentially correlated with spatial contiguity (measured with the fragmentation index) of old-growth pine forest, indicating critical forest fragmentation thresholds. Our results indicate that altered land use might be involved in the long-term decline of the grey-sided vole in managed forest areas of Fennoscandia. We propose two further approaches to reveal and test responses of this species to changes in landscape structure.