Assessing Landscape Condition Relative to Water Resources in the Western United States: A Strategic Approach

The Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) is proposing an ambitious agenda to assess the status of streams and estuaries in a 12-State area of the western United States by the end of 2003. Additionally, EMAP is proposing to access landscape conditions as they relate to stream and estuary conditions across the west. The goal of this landscape project is to develop a landscape model that can be used to identify the relative risks of streams and estuaries to potential declines due to watershed-scale, landscape conditions across the west. To do so, requires an understanding of quantitative relationships between landscape composition and pattern metrics and parameters of stream and estuary conditions. This paper describes a strategic approach for evaluating the degree to which landscape composition and pattern influence stream and estuary condition, and the development and implementation of a spatially-distributed, landscape analysis approach.     

Energy-Based Land Use Predictors of Proximal Factors and Benthic Diatom Composition in Florida Freshwater Marshes

The Landscape Development Intensity index (LDI), which is based on non-renewable energy use and integrates diverse land use activities, was compared to other measures of LU (e.g., %agriculture, %urban) to determine its ability for predicting benthic diatom composition in freshwater marshes of peninsular Florida. In this study, 70 small, isolated herbaceous marshes located along a human disturbance gradient (generally agricultural) throughout peninsular Florida were sampled for benthic diatoms and soil and water physical/chemical parameters (i.e., TP, TKN, pH, specific conductance, etc.). Landscape measures of percent agriculture, percent urban, percent natural, and LDI index values were calculated for a 100 m buffer around each site. The strongest relationships using Mantel's r statistic, which ranges from −1 to 1, were found between benthic diatom composition, the combined soil and water variables, and LDI scores (r=0.51, P<0.0001). Although similar, soil and water variables alone (r=0.45, P<0.0001) or with percent agriculture or percent natural were not as strongly correlated (both Mantel's r=0.46, P<0.0001). Little urban land use was found in the areas surrounding the study wetlands. Diatom data were clustered using flexible beta into 2 groups, and stepwise discriminant analysis identified specific conductance, followed by LDI score, soil pH, water total phosphorus, and ammonia, as cluster-separating variables. The LDI explained slightly more of the variation in species composition than either percent agriculture or percent natural, perhaps because the LDI can combine disparate land uses into a single quantitative value. However, the ecological significance of the difference between land use metrics and diatom composition is controvertible, and additional tests including more varied land uses appear warranted.     

Monitoring Australian Rangeland Sites Using Landscape Function Indicators and Ground- and Remote-Based Techniques

If the goal for managing rangelands is to achieve a balance between production and conservation, then monitoring is essential to detect change and apply corrective action. In some range-land areas of northern Australia, monitoring has detected a tilt in the production-conservation balance towards excessive production. How big is this imbalance? Can it shift back? Robust monitoring is needed to answer these questions. The aim is to know what to monitor, and where. For example, to detect changes caused by livestock on rangeland forage production and soil erosion, indicators linking grazing disturbances to landscape function are needed, that is, indicators that signal how well landscapes are capturing, concentrating, and utilizing scarce water, nutrient, and organic resources. Studies in Australia and the USA document that simple vegetation and soil patch attributes can be measured as indicators of the 'state of health' of landscape function. For example, field and remote sensing-based grazing studies in Australia document that landscapes with a high cover of perennial plant patches function effectively to capture runoff water and nutrients in sediments, whereas landscapes with a low cover of these patches do not — they are dysfunctional — as indicated by large patches of bare soil. Aerial videography is proving to be a robust technique for measuring indicators of landscape function such as small patches of vegetation and the extent of bare soil. These indicators typically have a sigmoidal response to grazing impacts. We illustrate that if these indicators are measured on monitoring sites established near the sigmoidal 'point of inflection’ then small changes in these indicators can be detected.     

Use of Scale Invariance in Evaluating Judgement Indicators

Indicators are used to draw conclusions about ecological endpoints when these endpoints cannot be measured directly. In many cases, inferences about an endpoint are only possible because assumptions have been made about the relationship between indicator and endpoint; we refer to such indicators as judgement indicators. The validity of inferences made using a judgement indicator can be gauged by examining the known or assumed form of the general relationship between indicator and endpoint. The rules for this kind of inference are a consequence of scale invariance, which originates from measurement theory. For simple indicators comprised of a single indicator measurement, the inferences allowed – equivalence, rank, equality of intervals, and equality of ratios – depend on whether the data are nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio scaled. For composite indicators containing two or more simple indicators, inferences are also affected by the mathematical form of combination; e.g., whether the terms are summed or multiplied. Standardizing simple or composite indicators can allow inferences about the relative importance of observations, based on the natural range of occurrence. Scale invariance is a particularly important consideration in landscape assessments, since these often make use of judgement indicators.     

乌鲁木齐市土地利用景观格局变化研究

运用GIS、RS技术及景观生态学理论和方法,基于乌鲁木齐市2006年和2010年遥感影像解译数据,对乌鲁木齐市5年间土地利用景观格局变化特征进行分析,分别从斑块类型和景观水平2个方面对研究区土地利用景观类型进行动态分析。揭示其变化原因和内在规律,为研究区生态治理提供数据支撑,对景观的规划与管理、资源的有效利用和生物多样性保护具有重要意义。     

Characteristics and driving factors of marsh changes in Zhalong wetland of China

Zhalong National Nature Reserve in the northeast of China is a large wetland and a habitat of hundreds species of fauna and flora. The rare red-crowned crane is one kind of endangered birds in it. Recently, Zhalong wetland is shrinking and it encounters many problems including occasional fires, bad water quality, human activities, etc. In order to find out a proper way to protect and restore the wetland, this study, using a geographic information system, the global positioning system and remote sensing techniques, analyses the spatial characteristics of the changes in marsh landscape pattern and examines the driving factors for these changes. Data sources include 8 Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite images of Zhalong area in the period of 1986–2002 and the investigation information on site. Based on the analysis of changes of marsh area and annual precipitation during the 16 years, it is found that there is a close correlation between annual precipitation and marsh area. It means that climate is one of driving factors of marsh pattern changes. To understand influences of other kinds of land uses on marsh spatial distribution in Zhalong wetland, this paper analyses the relationship between marsh and different kinds of land uses, such as water surface, residential area, farmland, salina land and grass land, respectively. According to the patch analysis theory, a fragmental index and a fractal dimension of the marsh are calculated with perimeter-area method. The results indicate that the marsh pattern is affected by human activities significantly. In addition, the location alteration of marsh centroid point over the 16 years is studied. The movement trace of marsh centroid point is concerned with different hydrological situation in different areas of the wetland. In summary the characteristics of the marsh landscape pattern evolution during the 16 years are affected by multiple driving factors. The main driving factors are climate, human activities, distribution of other kinds of land uses and hydrological situation in different areas.     

南京市生态空间结构及连通性动态变化分析

基于1990—2020年7期南京市土地利用数据,综合运用转移矩阵、形态学空间格局分析(MSPA)和斑块重要性指数(dPC)等方法,初步分析了南京市生态用地结构与景观连通性的关系以及重要生态斑块的分布情况。结果显示:耕地和水体是南京城市用地扩张的主要土地来源,1990—2020年,生态景观组分数量增加近5倍,等效连通面积(ECA)下降了24.24%,网络连通度(DOC)降低了3.48%,表明生态用地被逐渐分割和隔离。斑块重要性分析表明:南京市重要生态斑块面积基本呈缩减趋势。长江湿地、石臼湖风景名胜区、老山森林公园、横山林场、固城湖生态景区、汤山林场等区域是目前维持南京市景观连通性的关键生态节点,在今后的监管过程中应采取针对性的保护管理措施,有效减少社会经济活动对南京市生态空间结构及连通度的影响。     

略谈淮北市城市景观生态建设

为了保护淮北市城市生态环境,拟利用城市景观生态学原理对该市城市景观进行生态设计,包括城市自然组分、非自然组分设计。自然组分包括种群源、廊道、节点等内容,力争使自然组分成为环境质量的控制性组分,使城市生态良性循环、物种多样并持续存在和流动可达,物质循环、能量流动、信息传递畅通。     

郑州园林绿化树木低温寒冻害空间分布特征研究

绿化树木是园林景观的主体部分,同样也是园林建设中的目标植物.然而,绿化植物容易受到低温寒冻害的影响,进而影响园林布局美观.基于此,该文提出郑州园林绿化树木低温寒冻害空间分布特征研究方法,统计郑州园林绿化树木类型,对各样本按照乔木层与灌木层进行分类整理,将频度、显著度、密度等作为计算树木多样性的指标,分析比较结果,根据获...     

山区农村居民点时空格局演变特征及蚁群仿真优化——以重庆澄江镇为例

山地农村居民点系统因受自然因素及人类活动等多重扰动而处于深刻转型中,探索山区农村居民点时空格局特征及其优化策略,对于优化山区国土空间格局、推进山区国土空间综合治理与乡村振兴具有重要意义。基于构建理论框架,集成运用景观格局指数法、栅格权重叠加评价法、改进蚁群算法（ACO）等,以重庆澄江镇为例,探索山区农村居民点时空格局演变特征及优化过程,提出优化调控策略。结果表明：（1）研究区农村居民点空间格局演变特征呈现集中、靠拢的演化发展趋势,总体呈现匀质、线状、向心、院落四种分布形态;同时高程、坡度、水域、城镇、道路、基础设施等自然—经济社会因素均对山区农村居民点时空格局演化产生重要影响。（2）改进蚁群算法优化后,研究区农村居民点斑块面积（CA）减少10.07%,居民点斑块数量（NP）和密度（PD）分别减少83.12%和81.16%,平均斑块面积（MPS）增加了4.3倍,平均最近邻体距离（MENN）增加了42.82%。优化后69.1%的农村居民点斑块都集中在适宜区和较适宜区内,且重点向交通便利、公共设施完善、生产便利和中心村庄集中。优化后的农村居民点空间格局更加紧凑有序,土地集约节约效率更高。（3）基于仿真优化结果,综合考虑村庄振兴“产业—人口—土地”互动耦合机制,提出城郊融合、产业集聚、景村融合、搬迁撤并四类农村居民点格局优化方案,助推山区乡村振兴。（4）优化结果同时表明改进的蚁群算法非常适用于复杂环境条件下的较小尺度要素空间布局优化,能够为山区国土空间规划编制提供技术支撑。