A landscape ecology assessment of land-use change on the Great Plains-Denver (CO, USA) metropolitan edge

Abstract

For better or worse, in those parts of the world with a widespread farming, livestock rising and urban expansion, the maintenance of species richness and ecosystem services cannot depend only upon protected natural sites. They have to rely on a network of cultural landscapes endowed with their own associated biodiversity. This article presents a quantitative landscape ecology assessment of land cover changes (1930-2010) experienced in a study area covering five Great Plains counties in Colorado, adjacent to the northeastern edge of metropolitan Denver (USA). Several landscape metrics assess the diversity of land cover patterns and their impact on the dynamic processes of ecological connectivity. These metrics are applied to historical land cover maps and datasets drawn from aerial photos and satellite imagery provided by the Great Plains Population and Environment Project. The results emphasize the ecological functionality provided by cropland-grassland mosaics that link the metropolitan edge with the surrounding habitats sheltered in less human-disturbed areas, providing a heterogeneous land matrix able to maintain bird species richness. The maps and indicators offer a general basis for selecting certain types of landscape patterns and priority areas on which biodiversity conservation efforts and land use planning can concentrate. They also suggest that keeping multifunctional farmland greenbelts near the edge of metropolitan areas may provide important ecosystem services, supplementing traditional conservation policies.

Comparative Energy-Landscape Integrated Analysis (ELIA) of past and present agroecosystems in North America and Europe from the 1830s to the 2010s

“…Since part of this colonization has occurred not through organic agriculture, but in an era of high external industrial inputs (fertilizers, fuels, and machinery) we cannot observe that peaks in L were associated to I. In the three cases, ELIA decreases from T1 to T3, probably with important effects in landscape agro-ecological functioning (Cunfer and Krausmann, 2015;Cunfer et al, 2018;Marull et al, 2018b).…”

Beyond growth management: A review of the wider functions and effects of urban growth management policies

“…Additionally, where UGMP zones provide benefits from ES, trade-offs exist between them; UGMP zones cannot be maximised for agriculture or biodiversity whilst at the same time accommodating the recreational demands of urban populations (Spyra et al, 2020). The underlying ecological functioning of these zones may also be reduced whilst prioritising intensive agriculture, thereby reducing their ability to provide other benefits (Marull, Cunfer, Sylvester, & Tello, 2018). The way these functions and ES interact is complex; often with discrepancies in supply of certain ES and demand for others (Castro et al, 2014).…”

Spatio-Temporal Evolution Dynamic, Effect and Governance Policy of Construction Land Use in Urban Agglomeration: Case Study of Yangtze River Delta, China

“…Recanatesi [32] analyzed the impact of construction land change in the Rome Metropolitan Area on the peri-urban environment and flood risk. Marull [33] analyzed the landscape ecology impact of land use changes on the Great Plains-Denver metropolitan edge. Rojas [34] and Basnou [35] evaluated the impact of land use changes on biodiversity conservation in the Concepcion metropolitan area (Chile).…”