Landscape Ecology 1

an area that is spatially heterogeneous for at least one defined factor of interest

consisting of dissimilar elements

an ecological phenomenon triggered by the addition or removal of apex predators - which in turn changes the entire structure of an ecosystem

relatively narrow strip of a type that differs from the areas surrounding it

an area surrounded by ....

relationships between structural and functional components

the actual physical components, regardless of any biological processes inherent in them

interactions between organisms and structural compents

1. configuration

2. what caused the configurations

3. how the configuration impact organisms living there now and in the future

the study of spatial patterns and ecological processes that occur across a landscape at multiple scales

spatial or temporal dimension of an object or process

specific arrangements of spatial elements and structure

Human activity can cause disturbances that affect biotic and abiotic processes in habitats, landscapes, and ecosystems.

1. human

2. geobotanical

3. animal

grouping the landscape into functional entities with meaning for human interactions

1. the spatial distribution of biotic and abiotic components of the landscape

2. soil and its influence on the distribution of plant communities

grouping landscape into functional entities with meaning for animal life - ***scale is variable depending on the organism

the human perspective

the breaking up of habitat into smaller, disconnected parcels

false

Carl Troll

an extensive-coverage background cover type

a surface area that differs from its surroundings in nature

(example: a bunch of ponds on a grassland landscape would be patches - the grassland would be the matrix)

it's critical for the survival of entire ecosystems

1. spatial patterns

2. ecological processes

3. ecological flows

1. species dispersal

2. spread of fire

3. insect outbreaks

1. GIS

2. remote sensing

3. spatial statistics

4. geostatistics

5. process-based modeling

6. field research

1. ecological flows

2. causes, processes, and consequences of land use and change

3. landscape metrics to ecological processes

4. optimizing landscape pattern for resource management and conservation

5. the impact scale has on ecological processes

1. scale of phenomena

2. scale of its observable detection

3. scale at which a pattern is statistically analyzed and communicated

convert information from one scale to another

or!! from one system to another at the same scale

the ratio between a map and the real world

the extent of the landscape being observed or analyzed

combines spatial and temporal dimensions of a processes or object

Something within a hierarchy that is a whole and just a part....

example: a whole individual is a part of a population

a pattern that looks the same at any given scale

extent is the overall size of the study area

grain is the grid or cell size

it remains constant

the pattern or process will change if the extent or grain changes

false - it is subjective

grain must be sacrificed for extent

or

extent must be sacrificed for grain

1. individualistic fallacy

2. ecological fallacy

extrapolating to the broad scale based on observations made at a small local scale

drawing local-scale conclusions based on observations made an a broader scale

1. patterns depend on the scale the observation was made upon

2. important explanatory variables change with scale

3. statistical relationships might change if scale changes

4. patterns are created by processes occurring over varying temporal and spatial scales

1. species-oriented approach

2. pattern-oriented approach

a species' requirements for food, shelter, space, and climactic conditions

and also competition, predation, and mutualisms (interactions)

looks at human-perceived patterns and their measures of species richness

1. disruptions to dispersal

2. altered breeding patterns

3. altered home ranges

exogenous stochasticity is related to environmental variability

endogenous stochasticity is related to a species' life cycle

1. demographic

2. genetic

endogenous

endogenous threats

physical and biological changes at the boundaries of an ecosystem

1. a high structural contrast at the edge rather than a gradual change

2. high wind speeds and temperatures

3. presence of invasive taxa

functional - extent to which a species can move through a landscape

structural - deals more with landscape patterns such as distance between patches, structure of the matrix, and the density of the corridors

1. habitat connectivity

2. landscape connectivity

3. ecological connectivity

connectedness between patches of suitable habitat for a species

human perspective of the connectedness of native vegetation cover

connectivity of ecological processes across various scales.

includes trophic relationships, hydrogeological flows, and disturbance regimes

trees scattered in a savannah alter the abiotic environment and provide habitat for plants and animals

1. configuration

2. its composition

the spatial pattern or heterogeneity of the landscape

1. historical

2. spatial

1. biotic factors

2. abiotic factors

3. disturbance + succession

4. human land use

functional niche

Climate change can shift the home ranges of certain species - for example coniferous tree populations may move north when climate gets warmer, taking on a changed functional niche

1. landforms

2. climate

3. interactions

4. soils

parent materials, elevation, slope, and aspect affect ecosystem processes

solar radiation

temperature

moisture

nutrient retention

1. flows of energy, matter, and organisms thru a landscape

2. frequency and spatial pattern of disturbances (fires, landslides, floods)

3. geomorphic processes by wind and water

unweathered geologic material from which soil develops

plant community and composition

1. growth rates

2. establishment rates

3. mortality rates

4. competition

5. disturbance

6. disease

scale

Individuals respond to changes at a fine scale but communities respond at the landscape scale

competitive exclusion

a high niche overlap

fundamental niche

realized niche

prey animals avoid areas with a lot of predators, even if food and habitat is abundant there

trophic cascades

1. extraction of natural resources

2. development and infrastructure

3. disturbance and climate change

disturbances

disturbance

1. frequency

2. recurrence interval

3. rotation period

4. return interval

intensity (energy)

severity (mortality)

mean area/size

spatial distribution

1. synergism

2. feedbacks

3. predictability

a repeated series of disturbance events on a landscape over time

to create heterogeneity (by driving succession)

ecological processes

the shifting mosaic steady state

a steady state at a different scale

roots, rhizomes, seedbanks

historical range of variability

scale

more

it affects flows etc...