Landscape Ecology - Ecological Systems - page 184

Table 11.1 (continued)
Definition Source

Landscape ecology is “ecology that is spatially explicit or locational; it is
the study of the structure and dynamics of spatial mosaics and their
ecological causes and consequences” and “may apply to any level of
an organizational hierarchy, or at any of a great many scales of
resolution” (Wiens 1999).

• Wiens [ 27 ]

“Landscape ecology emphasizes the interaction between spatial pattern
and ecological process, that is, the causes and consequences of spatial
heterogeneity across a range of scales” (Turner et al. 2001). “Two
important aspects of landscape ecology

• Turner [ 6 ]

distinguish it from other
subdisciplines within ecology”: “First, landscape ecology explicitly
addresses the importance of spatial configuration for ecological
processes” and “second, landscape ecology often focuses on spatial
extents that are much larger than those traditionally studied in
ecology, often, the landscape as seen by a human observer” (Turner
et al. 2001).

...

“Landscape ecology is the science and art of studying and influencing the
relationship between spatial pattern and ecological processes across
hierarchical levels of biological organization and different scales in
space and time.”

• Wu and Hobbs [ 1 ]

Alas, none.” To develop such a landscape theory, broader scales that encompass
multiple ecosystems need to be considered, and horizontal interactions have to be
a focus of study. Thus, Forman and Godron [ 11 , 12 ] defined landscape ecology as
the study of the structure (spatial relationships among the distinctive landscape
elements), function (flows of energy, materials, and species among landscape
elements), and dynamics (temporal change in landscape structure and function) of
landscapes. The main theme of landscape ecology in North America, with an
unmistakable focus on spatial heterogeneity, was set in Risser et al. [ 24 ]:

Landscape ecology focuses explicitly upon spatial pattern. Specifically, landscape ecology
considers the development and dynamics of spatial heterogeneity, spatial and temporal
interactions and exchanges across heterogeneous landscapes, influences of spatial hetero-
geneity on biotic and abiotic processes, and management of spatial heterogeneity.
Is landscape ecology a subdiscipline of ecology? The term itself apparently
suggests that it is. Many ecologists do consider landscape ecology as a branch of
ecology (e.g., [ 6 ]), and most ecology programs of major research universities
worldwide now offer courses in landscape ecology. On the other hand, Zonneveld
[ 22 ] indicated that landscape ecology is not part of biological sciences, but a branch
of geography. Risser et al. [ 24 ] contemplated three ways in which landscape
ecology may be viewed: as an intersection of many disciplines, as a separate
discipline, or as a branch of ecology. They concluded that only the first option
was “intellectually and practically the most persuasive.” They further pointed out
that “viewing landscape ecology as an interdisciplinary field of research avoids the
issue of which discipline 'owns' landscape ecology” (a problem that may have
hindered the healthy development of some interdisciplinary fields, such as human