NCRS - Landscape Ecology
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Principles of Landscape Ecology for Managing Temperate Ecosystems
What is Landscape Ecology?
Landscape ecology is a branch of ecological science that studies how the
spatial arrangement of living organisms and ecosystems affects the way
they interact with each other. Landscape ecologists usually study
these relationships across large areas (landscapes), which may vary in
size from a few hundred acres to hundreds of thousands of acres.
Landscape ecologists are also interested in how the spatial arrangement
changes over time.
Hot Topics
Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth(left) congratulates Dr. Pat Zollner
for his outstanding research (Photo USDA Forest Service) View
Article
Focus of Current Research
- Forested ecosystems managed for timber, recreation, and biodiversity.
- How and where human population growth is changing landscapes around us.
- How forest management and natural forest disturbances interact to determine the risk of fire across landscapes.
- How landscape patterns affect the ability of animals to move across the landscape and colonize new habitat.
- How urban sprawl and vacation home development affects the natural ecosystems that people value.
- Endangered species such as Kirtland's Warbler and American Marten.
Development of Management Tools
- Methods to assess the current state of natural resources, to provide decision support to land managers across the region.
- Techniques to predict how forest management actions will affect the spatial arrangement of forests and wildlife habitat.
- Methods to predict where on the landscape future development may occurs.
Our Research Results in Plain Language
- Using Spatial planning to minimize ecological disruption
- How management can reduce fire risk
- Using simulation models for forest management planning
- Computerized map analysis to predict cowbird habitat use
- Saving the Kirkland's Warbler
- Mapping Aspen growth potential
- Computerized map analysis to predict salamander habitat use
- How animals find new habitat
USDA Forest Service - North Central Research Station