Context
To detect an effect of landscape context on a species’ response, the landscape variables need to be measured within the appropriate distance from the species’ response, i.e. at the
scale of ...effect
. However, it is not clear what factors determine the
scale of effect
.
Objective
Our objective was to test the prediction that the
scale of effect
should be smallest when the species’ response is fecundity, larger for abundance, and larger still for occurrence.
Methods
We compared the
scale of effect
of two landscape variables (road density, forest proportion) on the three responses (fecundity, abundance, occurrence) for the wood frog (
Lithobates sylvaticus
) in eastern Ontario, Canada. We used egg mass surveys of 34 ponds to estimate fecundity (mean eggs/mass), abundance (number of masses), and occurrence (presence/absence of egg masses). We then empirically estimated the
scale of effect
of each landscape variable on each response.
Results
The
scale of effect
differed among responses, from 0.2 to 3.0 km radii; however, it did not vary in the predicted order. Furthermore, the order was not consistent between the two landscape variables.
Conclusions
Our results show that the
scale of effect
of a landscape variable on a given species can differ for different response variables. However, they also suggest that these differences in the
scale of effect
are not predictable. Thus, the most reliable way to ensure a landscape context study is conducted at the correct spatial extent is to estimate the
scale of effect
empirically, rather than ‘guesstimating’ the extent a priori.
Understanding how landscape characteristics affect biodiversity patterns and ecological processes at local and landscape scales is critical for mitigating effects of global environmental change. In ...this review, we use knowledge gained from human-modified landscapes to suggest eight hypotheses, which we hope will encourage more systematic research on the role of landscape composition and configuration in determining the structure of ecological communities, ecosystem functioning and services. We organize the eight hypotheses under four overarching themes. Section A: ‘landscape moderation of biodiversity patterns' includes (1) the landscape species pool hypothesis—the size of the landscape-wide species pool moderates local (alpha) biodiversity, and (2) the dominance of beta diversity hypothesis—landscape-moderated dissimilarity of local communities determines landscape-wide biodiversity and overrides negative local effects of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity. Section B: ‘landscape moderation of population dynamics' includes (3) the cross-habitat spillover hypothesis—landscape-moderated spillover of energy, resources and organisms across habitats, including between managed and natural ecosystems, influences landscape-wide community structure and associated processes and (4) the landscape-moderated concentration and dilution hypothesis—spatial and temporal changes in landscape composition can cause transient concentration or dilution of populations with functional consequences. Section C: ‘landscape moderation of functional trait selection’ includes (5) the landscape-moderated functional trait selection hypothesis—landscape moderation of species trait selection shapes the functional role and trajectory of community assembly, and (6) the landscape-moderated insurance hypothesis—landscape complexity provides spatial and temporal insurance, i.e. high resilience and stability of ecological processes in changing environments. Section D: ‘landscape constraints on conservation management' includes (7) the intermediate landscape-complexity hypothesis—landscape-moderated effectiveness of local conservation management is highest in structurally simple, rather than in cleared (i.e. extremely simplified) or in complex landscapes, and (8) the landscape-moderated biodiversity versus ecosystem service management.
The fall of the Soviet Union was a transformative event for the national political economies of Eastern Europe, leading not only to new regimes of ownership and development but to dramatic changes in ...the natural world itself. This painstakingly researched volume focuses on the emblematic case of postsocialist Romania, in which the transition from collectivization to privatization profoundly reshaped the nation's forests, farmlands, and rivers. From bureaucrats abetting illegal deforestation to peasants opposing government agricultural policies, it reveals the social and political mechanisms by which neoliberalism was introduced into the Romanian landscape.
•Fifty-four contemporary landscape characterisation approaches were systematically reviewed.•A major distinction between biophysical and ‘holistic’ approaches was confirmed.•Three substantially ...different methodological strategies were identified.•A trend towards increasing observer-independence over time was identified.
Due to the multidisciplinary nature of landscape research, many different systems and methods for landscape identification and classification exist. This paper provides a systematic review of 54 contemporary landscape characterisation approaches from all over the world, with the aim of identifying major methodological strategies. Multivariate statistical analyses revealed segregation of the approaches according to the landscape concept applied, the degree of observer independence and various other factors involved in the landscape characterisation process. Our review confirmed a major distinction between approaches rooted in the natural sciences and approaches rooted in the arts and the humanities. Three substantially different methodological approaches or strategies were identified: 1) ‘holistic’ landscape character assessment approaches, by which visual perception and socio-cultural aspects of the landscape are emphasised; 2) landscape characterisation methods based on a priori selection of geo-ecological and land-use-related properties of the landscape; and 3) biophysical landscape characterisation approaches which rely strongly on statistical analyses in order to identify gradients of variation in the presence and/or abundance of landscape elements and properties. Assessment of landform and the composition of natural and human landscape elements was a central part of all of the reviewed methods. A trend towards increasing observer-independence over time was identified.
The German forest Wilson, Jeffrey K
The German forest,
c2012, 20121231, 2019, 2012, 2012-12-31, 20120101
eBook
Through impressive primary and archival research, Wilson demonstrates that in addition to uniting Germans, the forest as a national symbol could also serve as a vehicle for protest and strife.
There is fast-growing awareness of the role atmospheres play in architecture. Of equal interest to contemporary architectural practice as it is to aesthetic theory, this ‘atmospheric turn’ owes much ...to the work of the German philosopher Gernot Böhme. Atmospheric Architectures: The Aesthetics of Felt Spaces brings together Böhme’s most seminal writings on the subject, through chapters selected from his classic books and articles, many of which have hitherto only been available in German. This is the only translated version authorised by Böhme himself, and is the first coherent collection deploying a consistent terminology. It is a work which will provide rich references and a theoretical framework for ongoing discussions about atmospheres and their relations to architectural and urban spaces. Combining philosophy with architecture, design, landscape design, scenography, music, art criticism, and visual arts, the essays together provide a key to the concepts that motivate the work of some of the best contemporary architects, artists, and theorists: from Peter Zumthor, Herzog & de Meuron and Juhani Pallasmaa to Olafur Eliasson and James Turrell. With a foreword by Professor Mark Dorrian (Forbes Chair in Architecture, Edinburgh College of Art) and an afterword by Professor David Leatherbarrow, (Chair of the Graduate Group in Architecture, University of Pennsylvania), the volume also includes a general introduction to the topic, including coverage of it history, development, areas of application and conceptual apparatus.
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