Landscape

Landscape ecology

structure function operation

Landscape development Stability importance, assessment SES (Landscape System of Ecological Stability)
elements, design

Landscape and basic principles

LANDSCAPE: Heterogeneous part of the Earth surface, which consist of the ecosystems, which are in permannent interaction. Landscape surrounding space, consisting of individual landscape elements it has both of material and spiritual extension HOME environment of many species (which are effected by) place for anthropogenic activities (mining, production, construction, )

Landscape ecology:
The science about interactions between organisms and their environment - main interest to 3 basic characteristic outlines of the landscape: 1. STRUCTURE: spatial relations between present ecosystems or landscape units 2. FUNCTION: interaction between spatial units 3. CHANGE: development of the structure nd function of ecological mosaic in time Landscape observation and analysis better from above mount, aerial or satellite image

Bioregions basic classification of (for purpose of nature conservation) landscape Concerning of: geology altitude regional climate

Similarity: visual operational

Basic classification of the landscape

natural (undisturbed by humans very seldom in Central Europe) cultural (artificial anthropogenic) city agricultural industrial what we can afford here (landscape character conservation) The landscape has its scale of the size Japan x Rusiian taiga Tatra x Himalaj the scale affects perception of the detail!

Ad 1 landscape structure LandscapeLandscape-generating elements

LP forests VP water (streams, reservoirs, lakes) TTP permannent grass Pa pastures Mo wetlands Sa orchards Vi wineyards OP arable land AP anthrop. areas (roads, urbanized places) Ch hop fields

Landscape units
areal : spots no only one proportion the most important - originates spontaneously or with anthropogenic contribution

line :

line corridors green fences, roads, railways, windbreakers, ditches zone corridors all corridors, which have their own environment and typical conditions have border effect (ECOTON)! (water courses)

Selection of the spectrum (bands) for imaging what shall be contrast emphasized...?!

Satellite image in untrue colors esk Budjovice

Ad 2 FUNCTION OF THE LANDSCAPE

ecological (landscape stability) production = food Source of raw materials reactions (also esthetic function) : If the landscape lose its function... necessary to fix it recultivation/revitalization

Operate all together, even if we force one of them...

Ad 3 CHANGE OF THE LANDSCAPE

Landscape is dynamic system structure and function change... changes are caused by: Natural processes Anthropogenic activities (urbanization, fields unification) ...changes are usually faster and more complex (possible secondary problems erosion, retention, lower biodiversity) Natural processes - evolution species adapt in long time (for instance to climate changes,) succession regular sequence of species mosaic of biological community competition!

succession early/colonization stage transient succession stages climax

Cultivated field

1 year fallow

5 years fallow

150 years fallow

50 years fallow

Landscape development
Theory of LANDSCAPE CHANGES: if development is not extrenally disturbed, the landscape directs step by step to climax state (ballance); moderate disturbance increase diversity; strong disturbance can rapidly increase or decrease diversity. succession variance of the landscape decreases in climax state usually only ONE major landscape unit (type) (90% of forest in our conditions) Recently, anthropogenic influence is mostly dominant (also concerning of changes speed) Some landscape types succumb faster and easier to changes see STABILITY later

Stability???
Ability to resist changes of external conditions Schopnost odolvat zmnm vnjch podmnek (biotic x abiotic) climate, pests, ... Landscape mosaic stability can increase by 3 different manners: direction to physical stability (biomass is not present desert, rock,) Direction to resilience quick restoration after disturbance (small amount of biomass) Direction to resistance resistance to disturbance stabile coenoses (usually high amount of biomass is present, biodiversity)

Landscape stability assessment using CES (Coefficient of Ecological Stability)

LP + VP + TTP + Pa + Mo + Sa + Vi stable _ e cos ystems CES = = OP + AP + Ch unstable _ e cos ystems

LP forest VP lakes and streams TTP permanent grass Pa pastures Mo wetlands Sa orchards Vi wineyards,

OP arable land AP anthropogenic areas Ch hop gardens The higher assessments, the more stable landscape is

SES Stage of Ecological Stability

Interprets importance of given landscape element for given ecosystem. (Better description of importance of individual element for landscape stability) The scale of SES varies between 0 to 5 0 no effect 1 very low effect 2 low effect 3 moderate effect 4 high effect 5 very high effect

Type of landscape compone nt field vineyard

Classification

Importance for landscape stability 1 2 1

Description

Arable land a- small scale b - large scale

Intensively used and annually ploughed arable parcels Vineyards on narrow terraces Vineyards on arable land, included small private parcels

Total SES value is obtained as weighted average of areas of individual components: SES i * Fi SES = Fi

Ecological stability classification

Importance of individual unit for stability:

Ecological stability of the landscape

High very high ES Moderate to high ES Moderate ES Low ES Very low ES urbanized areas Very low devastated areas State borders District borders Large cities

Spatial System of Ecological Stability (SES)

reciprocally interconnected set of natural or modified, but nature like ecosystems, which preserve natural balance ".
(Law of NR . 114/92 Sb.).

Efficiently designed system, ecologically stable parts of the landscape, (framework of ecological stability, completed by other aerial and line elements).

Also one of landscape originating programs. The design tends to increase ecological stability from small units up to pan European frameworks. SES project is the basis for design of individual SES, master plans, landscape planning, forest planning, water management, and other documents of landscape recovery.

Main tasks of SES

1.Undisturbed development of natural genetic fund of the landscape within its natural and original spatial structure preserving. 2.Formation of optimal spatial basis of ecologically stable areas within the landscape from point of view of their positive influence on neighbor less stable locations.

Structural elements of SES

BIOCENTER BIOCORRIDOR IMPORTANT INTERACTION ELEMENT

Permanent life area

Migration, interconnection

regional > Level of biospheric > superregional > importance:

local

Biocenter - biotope or collection of the biotopes within the landscape, which allow, due to its conditions and area permanent existence of natural or natural like ecosystem. Biocorridor does not allow permanent existence of crucial part of organisms, but allow their migration between individual biocenters and therefore originates framework of them. Interaction element the element, which completes ecological niches of those organisms, which can survive within neighbor less stabile areas.

Rules for SES design

PARAMETER min. area of local biocenter [ha] min. area of regional biocenter [ha] max. length of local biocorridor [km] min. width of local biocorridor [m] min. width of regional biocorridor [m] min. width of interaction element [m]
forest water meadows savannah rock

3 20-50 2 15 40 5-8

1 10 2 1 20 40 5-8

3 30-50 1-2 0,7 20 50 5-8

3 20 2 0,4 10 20 5-8

0,5 10 0,5-2

max. length of region. biocorridor [km] 0,4-0,7

For regional and superregional elements of SES spatial parameters... Direction of MP R (for instance: www.egis.cz)

local BC

local BK

regional BK regional BC

red - completion

conclusions
Landscape Around us feel differently
natural x cultural (anthropogenic) see lendscape character has structure spots + lines has function relations and energy flow between ecosystems

Landscape is dynamic system

structure and function vary Changes natural (succession) anthropogenic (urbanisation, changes in land-use) Ability to resist to changes landscape stability... Landscape is the more stable, the more biomass is present... ( amount of natural elements)

Landscape stability assessment area+state of natural/anthrop. elements Stable elements within the landscape = ecological stability framework ... To increase SES project different levels of importance line + area units design of SES units = PROJECT (has rules!)

Thanks for your patience