LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY AND FOREST MANAGEMENT: DEVELOPING AN EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIP^*

Abstract

Landscape ecologists have been eager to make their research applicable to forest management. We examine how landscape ecology has contributed to shaping the way forest management is currently practiced. Landscape ecology research in forested ecosystems can be divided into two general areas: (1) the study of fragmentation issues, which focuses on the effects of forest fragmentation on species conservation; and (2) the development of landscape projection models, which focuses on patch dynamics and the effects of spatial arrangement of patches on ecosystem processes. Fragmentation issues have become priorities in the minds of forest managers, but research to date has over‐emphasized the effects of landscape structure on species conservation. We suggest that the research focus should move toward the study of threshold effects of landscape change on the relative influence of habitat loss and habitat configuration on species conservation in forest‐dominated landscapes. Landscape projection models are rapidly becoming important tools in forest management planning, and they hold great promise as a means to bring landscape ecologists and forest managers together. The ability to produce future landscapes under different management scenarios and to compare these to landscapes produced by natural disturbance regimes will help to focus both managers and scientists on understanding the key interactions among human activities, landscape features, and ecological processes.

Contributions of landscape ecology, multifunctionality and wildlife research toward sustainable forest management in the Greater Toronto Area

“…within which are found patterns of corridors, patches and edges of remnant forests (Forman 1995). The fragmented landscape produces a varied habitat regime for many species that, too, may affect the functional role of the forest stand (e.g., August et al 2002, Boutin andHebert 2002). The role of connectivity has been the subject of considerable debate, though it is recognized that corridors modify the functional role of the forest patch (Franklin 1997, Lindenmayer andFranklin 2002).…”

“…The demand for the multi-use of forested landscapes compels the need to consider various approaches to sustainable management of these dwindling resources. Landscape ecology, which focuses on how landscape pattern influences processes affecting the richness and distribution of species, has been presented as one approach that provides a solid framework for sustainable management (Perera andEuler 2000, Boutin andHebert 2002). Grounded in the tradition of ecology, landscape ecology builds on the principles of holistic systems analysis.…”

Cartography of Landscape Dynamics in Central Spain

“…Several authors have carried out research attempting to integrate the study of territorial dynamics, from an ecological perspective, using Geographic Information Systems [9,10]. The landscape is influenced by natural and anthropic processes, and the effects of both factors are expressed either at local or regional scale on the territory, showing changes in their structure and composition [11].…”

The legacy of forest management in tropical forests: analysis of its long-term influence with ecosystem models

“…Este conjunto de condiciones puede ser considerado como el legado humano en un ecosistema, y afecta a la mayoría de los paisajes terrestres en mayor o menor medida (Foster, 2000). Los efectos del manejo en los ecosistemas forestales son múltiples e incluyen cambios en la composición de especies, diversidad genética, fragmentación del bosque, formación de claros, pautas de regeneración, estructura del rodal, biomasa aérea, disponibilidad de nutrientes, ciclos de nutrientes, microclima o hidrología, entre otros (Briggs et al, 2000;Farrell et al, 2000;Boutin and Hebert, 2002;Franklin et al, 2002;Chazdon, 2003;Foster et al, 2003). Un grupo de impactos ecológicos que destaca por su importancia son los efectos en los ciclos de nutrientes.…”