What Is Landscape Ecology?

Landscape Ecology is a new branch of ecology that studies the spatial structure, interaction, coordination functions, and dynamic changes of a whole (ie, landscape) composed of many different ecosystems in a relatively large area. Landscape ecology brings new ideas and new research methods to ecology. It has become one of the frontier disciplines of North American ecology today.

Landscape ecology

(Subject type)

Geographic Botanist, Germany, 1938

Overview

Introduction

Many scholars are right

Landscape ecology is mainly derived from landscape theory of geography and ecological theory of biology. It combines a horizontal study of the spatial interaction of natural phenomena by geographers and a vertical study of the functional interactions of ecological zones by ecologists. Through the flow of matter, energy, information and value, Transmission and exchange, through the interaction and transformation between biotic and abiotic and humans, using ecosystem principles and systematic methods to study landscape structure and function, landscape dynamic changes and interaction mechanisms, study landscape landscaping patterns, optimize structure, Reasonable use and protection.

The research object of landscape ecology is landscape as a complex ecosystem, and landscape is the carrier of natural and human systems. Landscape ecologists have different understandings of "landscapes", and these views are both connected and not completely consistent.

Landscape ecology main performance

three aspects.

The first is to recognize from the intuitive sight of the landscape. This is the most primitive and common concept of landscape. It is mainly used in landscape architecture, which contains aesthetic factors. Although modern landscape architecture's understanding of landscape is not limited to this, it is still the main goal of landscape architecture.

The second is to understand the landscape from the individual's attribute structure. In geology, geomorphology, soil science, and vegetation science, the principle of landscape is used to explain the structure pattern of individual attributes on the surface. This attribute is the research object of these disciplines, such as rocks, surface morphology (topography), soil individuals, plants Community, etc. Geological, landscape, soil, and vegetation landscapes are often used to describe patterns.

The third view is that landscape is a complex ecosystem. This is the most comprehensive concept, including the two views mentioned above. According to this view, landscape is a complex ecosystem formed by the interaction of natural, biological and intelligent factors on the surface of the earth. Landscape ecosystems are different from general ecosystems. They have different boundaries. The general ecosystem is a continuous and integrated whole formed by long-term interactions between organisms and the environment, as well as various groups of organisms, focusing on the relationship between producers, consumers, and the environment. The landscape ecosystem is a unified whole formed by the interaction and constraints between the various natural elements on the surface and with humans. It mainly studies the interaction and connection of natural factors, socio-economic factors, and material migration and energy conversion between plants, the atmosphere, water bodies, rocks, animals, and humans, as well as the optimal use and protection of landscapes. Because of their different boundaries, the scope and content of research are also different. One focuses on living organisms to study the relationship between living things and the environment, and the other studies the integrated role of natural elements on the surface and human use. Landscape as an ecosystem adheres to the overall concept of the natural environment, and emphasizes the role of human-land relations in it. It regards human beings as an element of the landscape and enables comprehensive analysis of each element to study the interactions, constraints and interconnections between them. To overcome the one-sidedness and isolation in analysis. At the same time, landscape ecology uses ecological viewpoints and methods to study the landscape object, and based on comprehensive analysis, it studies the dynamic changes of the landscape, the material cycle and energy exchange between interactions, and the succession process of the system.

Landscape ecology should not only study the regular characteristics of the occurrence, development, and evolution of the landscape ecosystem, but also explore ways and measures for the rational use, protection, and management of the landscape. At present, the principles of overall system optimization, recycling and regional differentiation should be followed to provide theoretical methods and scientific basis for the rational development and utilization of natural resources, continuous improvement of productivity levels, and protection and construction of the ecological environment; seeking solutions to development and protection, economy and ecology Contradictions between the approaches and measures to promote the sustainable development of the ecological economy.

Basic tasks of landscape ecology

Can be summarized as the following aspects.

The first is the study of the structure and function of landscape ecosystems. Including research on natural landscape ecosystems and artificial landscape ecosystems. By studying the physical, chemical, biological, and socio-economic processes in the landscape ecosystem, the structure, function, stability, and succession of various ecosystems are explored. Study the material flow, energy flow, information flow and value flow in the landscape ecosystem, simulate the dynamic changes of the ecosystem, and establish the optimized structural model of various landscape ecosystems. The study of landscape ecosystem structure mainly includes the orderly scale of landscape spatial scale. The study of landscape functions mainly includes the exchange of material, energy, and information within the landscape ecosystem and with the outside world, and the various changes and performances that occur within the landscape under the influence of this exchange. Particular attention should be paid to human behavior and role in the landscape ecosystem as an element of the landscape. Research on artificial landscape ecosystems, such as urban ecosystems, industrial and mining ecosystems, must consider abiotic processes in the system. The research work in this area is the basic research of landscape ecology. Through research, it enriches the theory of landscape ecology and guides the application and practice.

The second is landscape ecological monitoring and early warning research. The research in this area is the monitoring of natural environment changes under the influence of human activities and interventions, and the prediction of possible changes in the structure and function of landscape ecosystems and environmental changes. The task of landscape ecological monitoring is to continuously monitor the status of natural and artificial ecosystems and other components of the biosphere, determine the direction and speed of change, and identify the role of human activities in this change. Landscape ecological monitoring work should establish monitoring stations in representative types of landscape ecosystems, accumulate data, improve ecological databases, dynamically monitor changes in species and ecosystem status, and issue them in a timely manner to formulate rational use of natural resources for decision-making departments Provide scientific basis for policies and measures to protect the ecological environment. Landscape ecological early warning is the prediction and warning of the ecological consequences of resource use, the coordinated development of the ecological environment and socioeconomic development. The first is to predict landscape changes from time and space on the basis of monitoring. This kind of research should analyze the regional ecological environment capacity and sustainable development capacity through carrying capacity, stability, buffering capacity, productivity, and regulatory power, evaluate the coordination and adaptability of regional ecological environment to economic development, and overburden areas. And major ecological and environmental issues to make an alarm and take necessary measures. The second is the prediction of the changes in the ecological environment caused by various large-scale projects, such as the prediction of the ecological environment of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project and the Three Gorges Water Conservancy Project.

The third is the study of landscape ecological design and planning. Landscape ecological planning is to analyze the characteristics of the landscape and to interpret, synthesize and evaluate the landscape, and to propose an optimal landscape utilization plan. The purpose is to coordinate the social activities and ecological features of the landscape in time and space, to achieve optimal use of the landscape, to protect the environment and develop production, and to reasonably handle production and ecology, resource development and protection, economic development and environmental quality. , Dialectical relationship of development speed, scale, capacity, carrying capacity, etc. According to the regional ecological virtuous cycle and environmental quality requirements, a production and ecological structure that is coordinated and compatible with the region is designed, and approaches and measures for ecosystem management are proposed. It mainly includes: landscape ecological classification, landscape ecological evaluation, landscape ecological design, landscape ecological planning and implementation.

The fourth is the study of landscape ecological protection and management. Using ecological principles and methods to explore ways to rationally use, protect and manage landscape ecosystems. Apply the succession theory, through scientific experiments and the establishment of mathematical models of ecosystems, study the optimal combination of landscape ecosystems, technical management measures and constraints, and use effective methods such as multi-level utilization of ecological engineering to increase the intensity of photosynthesis and maximize Utilize primary heterotrophic production on a local basis to improve the economic benefits of using different nutritional biological products. Establish natural and human landscape protection areas, manage and protect resources and the environment. Protect major ecological processes and life support systems; protect genetic diversity; protect existing production species; protect cultural landscapes for sustainable use by humans and continuously strengthen the functions of various ecosystems. Landscape ecological management should also strengthen the study of landscape ecological information systems, mainly including: databases, model libraries, landscape ecological expert systems and knowledge bases.