Division of Farmland Use in East China at County level Based on Landscape Structure and Output Function——a Case of Pingdu City, Shandong Province

[Objective] The aim was to research the relationships among different e- valuation farmland units and conduct division-of farmland use in order to provide scientific references for protection and rational use of farmland at county level. [Method] Using Pingdu City as a case, the research selected land use indices such as farmland use structure, output, geographical location, eta/., and then performed a cluster analysis for farmland use division. [Result] Farmlands in Pingdu can be classified into 4 groups. In groups 1 and 2, it is necessary to strengthen farmland protection, especially for highly-quality farmlands, to guarantee the quantity and quality of local crops. In groups 1 and 3, it is necessary to improve concentration degree and use rate of construction lands and control farmland pollution possibly caused by constructions. In group 4, priority should be given to maintaining diversity of land use patterns, and avoiding aimless farming expansion. [Conclusion] During urbanization process in eastern coastal agricultural regions, it is of importance to prevent fertile farmlands being occupied by construction lands to enhance use rate of construction lands. Furthermore, agricultural non-point pollution should be detected constantly in intensively used farmlands, especially in vegetable fields. Additionally, land use diversity should be well protected by avoiding farmland expansion and im- proving farmland environment.

An Experimental Analysis of Water and Soil Conservation Effected by Micro-landscape Structure

[Objective] This comparative experiment was to explore the soil loss con- trol effects under cultivation combination of different soil and vegetation types, and to provide scientific basis for the upcoming pilot project of ecological recovery. [Method] Both the rudiment of water locomotion functioned by micro-landscape structures and different spatial combinations of various landscape constituents are considered, thus, the combination of multi-soil type, crop species and site conditions is designed in three different experimental sites. [Result] Soil loss estimates in experiments in South Wello significantly depended on various soil type, slope, vegetation and type of con- servation structure; grass cover tremendously reduces soil loss; legume cultivation performed better than cereal cultivation in soil loss control. [Conclusion] By conduct- ing the data analysis of the experiment, a scientific reference is proposed to the agri- culture planting and protective mode for the alleviation of water and soil loss in Amhara Region, Ethiopia.

The corridor effect of metropolitan spatialextension and optimization of landscape structure—the case of Beijing

Because of the existence of gradient field of the urban center and the corridor effect. underthe drive of going merely after economic benefit, the city intrinsically has the trend of massive growth, and this will seriously destroy the urban reasonable landscape structure and the ecological equilibrium.By applying the theory of corridor effect. this paper studies the interactive process between artificialcorridors and natural corridors. At the same time, by studying the Beijing's spatial extension pattern in central urban area during different periods. this paper analyses the corridors extension volume.extension velocity and variant tendency of urban landscape on & directions. Moreover. this paperbrings forward the idea of incorporating the systen of natural corridors into the Beijing'smetropolitan planning, namely to form a star-shaped scattering-group pattern in which artificialcorridors and natural corridors are alternately distributed in order to effectively prevent built-up areafrom massive growth .

Landscape structure and land uese on county level in northeastern Yunnan Province of China——a case study of Huize County

Taking Huize County as an example, the paper analyzed the landscape structure(landscape element structure, landscape type structure, landscape spatial structure, landscape succession structure) and the relations between landscape structure and land use. It was pointed out that the agriculture should be developed in harmony with the landscape structure in the study area.

Spatial pattern analysis for quantification of landscape structure of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve,Central India

Landscape structure is often regarded as an important factor that governs the distribution and abundance of species. Therefore it is critical to understand the landscapes and their dynamics. Patterns of landscape elements strongly influence the ecological characteristics. This study was designed to document and map the current status of the tropi-cal dry deciduous forest of the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve （TATR）, Central India, （using IRS P6 LISS IV data） and to describe its landscape structure at three levels of organization viz. landscape, class, and patch. The study area was classified into 10 land cover classes that include 6 vegetation classes. The landscape structure was analyzed using FRAG-STATS using 12 set of indices. The TATR landscapes have a total of 2,307 patches with a mean patch size of 25.67 ha and patch density of 1.7 patches per km2. Amongst all land cover classes, mixed bamboo forest is dominant-it occupied maximum area （77.99%）-while riparian forest is least represented （0.32%）. Mixed forest has maximum number of patches among all vegetation classes. Results have shown that despite being dominant in the area, mixed bamboo forest has low patch density （0.25/100 ha）. Dominance of mixed bamboo forest is attributed to large patch sizes and not to the number of patches. This study has focussed on the approach of integrating satellite forest classification and forest inven-tory data for studying forest landscape patterns.

Landscape structure and bird's diversity in the rural areas of Taiwan

This study tries to discuss the relationship between landscape structure and organisms in the perspective of landscape architecture. The research hypotheses were then proposed as (1) there are relationships between landscape structure indexes and birds' diversity in the rural areas of Taiwan; (2) the relationships between landscape structure and birds' diversity will be different in different hierarchical levels. In order to increase the bird species, landscape planners could tries to increase the density of water bodies, but decrease the farms and human planted woods. Decrease the density of constructed and human planted grasslands. Increase the area of un-worked acres, natural grasslands, and the area of water bodies and circular the water bodies and natural forest. In order to increase birds' diversity, landscape planners could decrease the concentration of paved areas. Concentrate the human planted trees to increase the core areas of woodlands. Increase the area of natural grassland circular. In order to increase the total number of birds in the planning areas, landscape planners could scattered the paved areas and lengthen the constructed areas. Decreases the core region of the constructed areas. Increase the area of un-worked acres and water bodies. Decrease the disturbance of both the interior area of natural and human planted woodlands and try to increase the density of water bodies.;The analysis results showed that the small grain size indexes are more suitable for the rural areas of Taiwan to capture the influential factors of bird communities. The high fragmentation of land usages in Taiwan lessens the influences of the regional landscape pattern.

Landscape structures of different rural landscape connectivity in typical plateau karst regions: Taking the Houzhai River area of Anshun City, Guizhou Province as an example

Landscape connectivity is important for energy and material flow in ecosystems as well as for the survival of species. The landscape structure influences and reflects the degree of landscape connectivity. In order to study the coupling relationship between landscape structure and connectivity and reveal the succession relationship between its structure and connectivity in the typical karst plateau area. The study analyzed the typical area of Houzhai River in Puding County, Anshun City, Guizhou Province, according to the landscape pattern index and probability landscape connectivity index. The results show:(1) The landscape structure of the study area A is mainly characterized by large patches and uniform distribution. The main land is woodland and cultivated land, and the overall landscape is low fragmentation.(2) The landscape structure of the study area B is mainly characterized by the clustering of a certain type of land cover and the uneven distribution of the patches, for example, cultivated land. Other types of patches are scatteredly distributed, and the overall landscape is highly fragmented.(3) The study area A, B in 100, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 5 distance thresholds of landscape connectivity were 1.55, 1.99, 2.26, 2.49, 2.58 and 0.02, 0.10, 0.15, 0.19, 0.20, respectively. The average landscape connectivity is 2. 18 and 0. 13, respectively. Study Area A has a higher degree of landscape connectivity than B. Landscape pattern indicators can represent the landscape structure and probability landscape connectivity index calculates the landscape connectivity in the study area. The results of the study can provide a basis for ecological restoration of plateau karst regions and well-oriented rural development planning.

Development versus conservation: evaluation of landscape structure changes in Dem?novská Valley, Slovakia

This paper presents the changes of landscape structure in the Demanovská Valley which ranks among the most valuable protected areas of Slovakia. The area was selected on the basis of changes associated with the rapidly growing tourism industry and the rise of an important destination in the center of Low Tatras National Park, Slovakia. To document any changes, we visually interpreted data from aerial and satellite images in three periods（1949, 2007 and 2013） and for predicting future changes we used land use planning documentation. Interpreted data were analyzed using overlay analysis and landscape metrics. Results showed extensive changes in the landscape structure mainly connected with the development of tourism infrastructure. We also identified long-term changes whose causes stem from the transformation of society and forest management in the past. The dynamics and extent of these changes may increase in the future. We propose to stop future development of ski slopes and expansion of related infrastructure, to focus on sustainability and environmentally friendly operation of the existing ski resort and to invest a substantial portion of profits to support projects aimed to preserve surrounding lands and wildlife.

Analysis of Spatial-Temporal Changes in the Landscape Structure of Yushu Prefecture in Qinghai Province

Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, an area located in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is an area very sensitive to global climate change. Due to impacts from climate change and human disturbances, grassland vegetation in the area has been degraded and desertification has been expanding. Ecosystems in the area are very sensitive and fragile and ecological problems have become increasingly serious in the area, resulting in an adverse effect on the local socio-economic development and environment of Qinghai province. Using data gathered from Landsat TM/ETM images for 1987, 1997 and 2007, we analyzed landscape patterns across Yushu Prefecture. Spatial structure indices indicated that： （i） the area of grassland has significantly decreased in the form of degradation and conversion from grassland into bare land and farmland; （ii） grassy vegetation patches changed into fragmented and isolated patches; （iii） the main landscapes in Yushu Prefecture are grasslands, forests and rivers; （iv） patches of grass have reiatively high connectivity; and （v） landscape change is significantly correlated with human activities and climate change. This study provides a strong theoretical and technical basis for policy-making regarding environmental protection of and management in Yushu Prefecture of Qinghai Province.

The efect of landscape structure on the evolution of two alternative dispersal strategies

Background:Dispersal is an important event for most organisms at least once in their life cycle.The evolution of dispersal can be infuenced by local adaptation,landscape structure,and perceived temporal and spatial variation.The interaction between local adaptation,landscape heterogeneity,temporal variability and rules of dispersal may be more complex than previously assumed.Therefore,we sought to understand the infuence of emigration rules and landscape structure on emerging dispersal rates and traits.Here,we implemented an individual-based model(IBM)of trait evolution in scenarios characterized by diferent landscape structures and diferent degrees of spatial heterogeneity and global temporal variation.Individuals could evolve two traits coding for their environmental niche(position of niche optimum and niche width),and two traits determining nearest-neighbor dispersal:an individual emigrates with a probability defned by the frst trait(random emigration),but emigrates with certainty if the fertility expected in the patch of residence falls below a threshold specifed by the second trait(habitat-dependent emigration).Results:We note an interaction efect between dispersal strategy and spatial variance—lower emigration under habitat-dependent than under random emigration if spatial heterogeneity is low,but eventually a reversal of this ranking if heterogeneity becomes large.Landscapes with sharp transition of habitat attributes result in a high degree of spatial sorting,while fractal landscapes do not.Emigration rates are overall lowest,when spatial variation is highest.Conclusions:We conclude that emergent emigration rates are infuenced more by landscape structure and spatiotemporal heterogeneity than by the emigration strategy.With the ongoing land use change more research into this topic could help highlight the difculties species might face under the change from landscapes characterized by gradual transition zones to landscapes dominated by abrupt ecotones,the latter typical for agricultural and urban settings.

Urban landscape structure anatomy:Structure patterns and typology identification in the space-time of Setif City,Algeria

The definition of urban form and its elements raises a wide debate in urban morphology.This study presents a proposal to understand the structuring of the urban landscape of Setif City over 170 years(1848-2018)by abstracting its main elements into permanent structure(PSUL).It corresponds to the street network,more static to the change of the town plan,and flexible structure(FSul),more resilient to change and explains the superimpositions of morphological components(plot,building,and land use).This work aims to identify typological patterns of structures suggested in space-time through the inspection of the growth of the street network and the filling of morphological layers framed by the concept of urbanity.The methodology is based on syntactic(diachronic)morphogenetic analysis,with statistical analyses as unsupervised classification.Results indicate that PSUL presents an accumulation of microincrements produced with a similar degree of coherence in different urban fabrics,which explain the local patterns of street network structuring.The typology of FSul patterns indicates an unbalanced growth by the arrangement between morphological elements,resulting in a variation in the degree of urbanity.

Landscapes—Structure, Functions, and Development Trends (On the Example of Landscapes of Georgia)

The article discusses the peculiarities of landscape geography development, types of landscape structure and their types, the essence of cultural landscape and its types, landscape functions and peculiarities of their definition, the main tasks and challenges of using and managing Georgian landscapes.

Application of landscape ecology to the research on wetlands

This review describes the characteristics and hot spots of wetland research, including biodiversity protection of wetland, management and restoration of wetland, function and process of wetland, and the theories, methods and scales of landscape ecology. Moreover, some deficits of landscape ecology theory and method were discussed, and the application of landscape ecology to research on wetlands was reviewed specially, involving in the application of landscape structure principle, landscape pattern, and scale and hierarchy theory. In conclusion, landscape ecology plays an enlightening and guiding function on the comprehensive research of wetlands at multi-scales.

Additions of landscape metrics improve predictions of occurrence of species distribution models

Species distribution models are used to aid our understanding of the processes driving the spatial patterns of species’ habitats. This approach has received criticism, however, largely because it neglects landscape metrics. We examined the relative impacts of landscape predictors on the accuracy of habitat models by constructing distribution models at regional scales incorporating environmental variables (climate, topography, vegetation, and soil types) and secondary species occurrence data, and using them to predict the occurrence of 36 species in 15 forest fragments where we conducted rapid surveys. We then selected six landscape predictors at the landscape scale and ran general linear models of species presence/absence with either a single scale predictor (the probabilities of occurrence of the distribution models or landscape variables) or multiple scale predictors (distribution models + one landscape variable). Our results indicated that distribution models alone had poor predictive abilities but were improved when landscape predictors were added; the species responses were not, however, similar to the multiple scale predictors. Our study thus highlights the importance of considering landscape metrics to generate more accurate habitat suitability models.

Spatiotemporal Evolution and Influencing Factors of Landscape Ecological Vulnerability in the Three-River-Source National Park Region

The increasing impact of global warming and human activities has exacerbated the ecological environment in the Three-RiverSource National Park Region(TNPR). Understanding the temporal and spatial evolution of landscape ecological vulnerability(LEV)and its influencing factors are crucial to the implementation of environmental management. Here, we aimed to: 1) construct a LEV assessment model integrating landscape structure and function;2) analyze the temporal and spatial evolution of TNPR’s LEV from 1995to 2015;3) use geographic detectors to reveal the regional influence factors of TNPR’s LEV. The main findings were: 1) grasslands, water, and bare land are important landscapes of TNPR, accounting for 98.37% of the total area. During the study period, there were significant differences in the area of different landscapes;except for desert, shrub, and urban land, the other landscape areas showed a decreasing trend. 2) During the study period, the LEV of TNPR showed a downward trend;except for grasslands, the ecological vulnerability of the other landscapes decreased steadily. Furthermore, a pattern of conversion from high to low vulnerability grade was observed in the study area. In terms of spatial distribution, the LEV level shows a trend of high at both ends(east and west) and low in the middle.3) Overall, the impact of natural factors on the ecological vulnerability of the TNPR was significantly higher than that of human factors.In conclusion, our study provides a scientific basis for landscape structure optimization and the management of regional ecological vulnerability.

Decline of Traditional Landscape in a Protected Area of the Southwestern Alps:the Fate of Enclosed Pasture Patches in the Land Mosaic Shift

【Title】【Author】【Addresses】1Traditional landscape elements such as pasture patches enclosed in a forest matrix are progressively disappearing throughout the European Alps. We assessed the land mosaic shift of a protected area located in the western Italian Alps. In particular, the dynamics of pasture patches were studied at both landscape and stand level. Land-cover mapping through object-oriented analysis of historical aerial photographs was used to assess land-cover changes between 1954 and 2000. Spatial statistics were used to quantify landscape patterns, and field samplings within pasture patches were used to explore tree regeneration structure and composition. Our results showed a significant increase in the number of pasture patches caused by their fragmentation following forest expansion. The total surface area of pasture patches decreased by 43% and their core area decreased by 94%. The encroachment of trees on less accessible areas of the pasture patches caused a reduction of patch shape at landscape scale. The gap filling process started 40-50 years ago and began with an early invasion of light demanding species like sycamore maple （Acer pseudoplatanus L.） and common ash （Fraxinus excelsior L.）, followed by European beech （Fagus sylvatica L.） and secondarily silver fir （Abies alba Mill.）. Traditional land-use and population decline in the Pesio Valley led to a reduction in ecotone areas. A transition to a more homogeneous landscape is expected in the next decades. Given the cultural and productive nature of these mountain meadow-pasture communities, extensive livestock grazing systems could be used to manage their future conservation.

The Explore of Landscape Planning and Design of Urban Complex Based on the Patch-Corridor-MatrixModel

As intensive urban organization form, urban complex emerged with the fast urbanization of our country. Based on the Patch-Corridor-Matrix model, the author analyzed urban complex landscape structure from the macro, meso and micro level, and also analyzed the relationship between urban complex and urban systems, the interact between functional patches, the landscape process and requirement of people from the three levels, proposed the main points of the planning and design of the environment landscape of urban complex, expect the study above can benefit urban complex＇s practice projects.

Land use and forested landscape changes at Sakaerat Environmental Research Station in Nakhorn Ratchasima province, Thailand

The Sakaerat Environmental Research Station （SERS） was established to promote long-term ecological research （LTER） and to demonstrate sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation. In the past decade, the government has put a lot of effort into rehabilitating degraded forest both inside and surrounding the SERS landscape in order to link fragmented forest patches. However, there is a lack of appropriate methods that allow the measurement of the effectiveness of reforestation. The objective of this paper is to quantify land use and landscape structure changes between 1990 and 2002. The study area encompasses the SERS and its buffer zone. Land use/land cover maps were visually interpreted into 9 classes using temporal Landsat-TM images. These classes were dry evergreen forest, mixed deciduous forest, dry dipterocarp forest, secondary growth, plantation, grassland, old clearing, agriculture ＆ settlement, and water body. In addition, a Geographic Information System （GIS） and FRAGSTATS package were used to assess fragmentation indices. The results revealed that the annual increment rate of dry evergreen forest and dry dipterocarp forest were 0.51% and 0.97%, respectively. In addition, the total area of forest plantation expanded to roughly three times or increased 193.23% during this period. Agricultural and settlement area decreased 7.56% per year. Most of this area was replaced by plantation and natural regeneration. The fragmentation indices indicated that the remaining dry evergreen forest was highly aggregated or had low fragmentation. The number of patches decreased from 7 to 5, and mean patch size increased significantly. However, mixed deciduous forest and dry dipterocarp forest were relatively fragmented. Mixed deciduous forest showed higher fragmentation. Mean patch size area was substantially decreased from 293 ha in 1990 to 123 ha in 2002 and the mean nearest neighbor distance increased by approximately 400 m during this period.

A structural relationship between place attachment and intention to conserve landscapes–a case study of Harz National Park in Germany

Place attachment is an important motivation for people to spend more time outdoors and to protect landscapes.This study explores visitors' intention to conserve natural landscapes based on the relationship with their place attachment to National Park landscape. Structural equation modelling(SEM) was used to determine the relationship between landscape conservation and place attachment. A survey with a structured questionnaire was administered to visitors to the seven designated hiking courses of Harz National Park in Germany. The path coefficient of 0.77 revealed that place dependence positively and significantly affected place attachment, whereas place identity did not. Place attachment had a significant effect on both affective appraisals and visiting satisfaction. Higher place attachment led to higher emotional reaction to landscapes on site and higher satisfaction of visiting the park. Among the variables, visiting satisfaction, but not affective appraisals, played a statistically significant mediating role between place attachment and conservation intention. With a path coefficient of 0.86, conservation intention was highly affected by visiting satisfaction. These results suggest that the managers of National Parks should focus on increasing visiting satisfaction based on how visitors are emotionally bonded with their visiting places, in order to enhance the intentions to conserve the landscape of the visitors to National Parks.

STUDY ON ECOLOGICAL SPACE OF URBAN AGGLOMERATION-Taking Wuxi City as an Example

From the angle of ecology,urban agg lomeration presents relevant types of landscape structure,which in-clude Patch,Corridor and Matrix.There are different landscape feature s and different problems in differen t development phases.This paper has put forward fi ve basic conditions for security pattern of landscape ecology of urban agglomeration,described quantitatively the featu res for landscape ecology in Wuxi,an d analyzed ecological background of spatial expan-sion and spatial organization of urb an development in Wuxi.From the angle of ecological land use and non-ecological land use,the paper has analyzed the featu res of land use and ecological distribution of land in the urban area.The s patial mod-el of cities and towns in Wuxi is composed of one metropolis,two urban zones and three development axes.This th esis has planned preliminarily ecologic al protection network at four levels in the urban region according to four layers.At last,combining landscape ecology with ur ban space,a tentative security pattern of landscape ecology has been pla nned in Wux-i,namely Source-Buffer Zone and Metropolis,Radiating Routes and Expan sion Direction of City,Strategic Point and Interac-tion between Cities and Towns,Inter-Source Linkage-Corridor of a Stabl e Landscape Structure.