The third dimension in landscape metrics analysis applied to Central Alentejo-Portugal

Landscape metrics have been widely developed over the last two decades, although the question remains: How does landscape metrics relates with ecological processes? One of the major recent developments in landscape metrics analysis was the third dimension integration. Topography has an extremely important role on ecosystems function and structure, even though the common analysis in landscape ecology only conceives planimetric surface which leads to some erroneous results, particularly in mountain areas. The analytical process tested patch, class and landscape metrics behavior in 11 sample areas of 100 sqkm each in several topographical conditions of Central Alentejo. It is presented the significance analysis of the results achieved in planimetric and 3D environments

Suitable methods for landscape evaluation and valorization: the third dimension in landscape metrics

Landscape metrics have been widely developed over the last two decades. One of the major recent developments in landscape metrics analysis was the integration of the third dimension. Topography has an extremely important role in ecosystems function and structure, even though the common analysis in landscape ecology only considers a planimetric surface, which leads to some erroneous results particularly in mountain areas. In this study we tested landscape metrics behaviour in 13 sample areas of 10,000 m2 each in several topographical conditions of Central Alentejo, Portugal. The significance analysis of the results achieved in planimetric and three-dimensional environments is presented

Exploratory landscape metrics for agricultural sustainability

Socioeconomic growth and urban change have been an increasing concern for decision makers in recent decades. The monitoring, mapping, and analysis of agricultural land use change, especially in areas where urban change has been high, is crucial. The collision between traditional economic activities related to agriculture in tourist areas such as the Algarve and current demand for tourism infrastructures in urban regions is also leading to loss of economic activity. This article uses a combined geographical information system approach with CORINE land cover datasets to perform a Shannon’s diversity index quantifying changes in agricultural areas. The article then expands on the nature of the agricultural changes observed, and offers a multi-temporal assessment by means of landscape metrics in order to understand the shifting land use patterns for the Algarve in land use planning and regional economic equilibrium: a) forest regions become transformed into agricultural areas and agricultural areas become urban; b) areas that are initially agricultural become scattered residential regions created by economic investors; and c) agricultural land use changes have a cyclical nature in which—in the course of the economic recession—such dynamic effects brought about a decrease in tourism and focus on traditional sectors

Landscape metrics and indices : an overview of their use in landscape research

The aim of this overview paper is to analyze the use of various landscape metrics and landscape indices for the characterization of landscape structure and various processes at both landscape and ecosystem level. We analyzed the appearance of the terms landscape metrics/indexes/indices in combination with seven main categories in the field of landscape ecology [1) use/selection and misuse of metrics, 2) biodiversity and habitat analysis; 3) water quality; 4) evaluation of the landscape pattern and its change; 5) urban landscape pattern, road network; 6) aesthetics of landscape; 7) management, planning and monitoring] in the titles, abstracts and/or key words of research papers published in international peer-reviewed scientific journals indexed by the Institute of Science Information (ISI) Web of Science (WoS) from 1994 to October 2008. Most of the landscape metrics and indices are used concerning biodiversity and habitat analysis, and also the evaluation of landscape pattern and its change (up to 25 articles per year). There are only a few articles on the relationships of landscape metrics/indices/indexes to social aspects and landscape perception

Analysis of urban sprawl at mega city Cairo, Egypt using multisensoral remote sensing data, landscape metrics and gradient analysis

This paper is intended to highlight the capabilities of synergistic usage of remote sensing, landscape metrics and gradient analysis. We aim to improve the understanding of spatial characteristics and effects of urbanization on city level. Multisensoral and multitemporal remotely sensed data sets from the Landsat and TerraSAR-X sensor enable monitoring a long time period with area-wide information on the spatial urban expansion over time. Landscape metrics aim to quantify patterns on urban footprint level complemented by gradient analysis giving insight into the spatial developing of spatial parameters from the urban center to the periphery. The results paint a characteristic picture of the emerging spatial urban patterns at mega city Cairo, Egypt since the 1970s

Landscape metrics as functional traits in plants: perspectives from a glacier foreland

Spatial patterns of vegetation arise from an interplay of functional traits, environmental characteristics and chance. The retreat of glaciers offers exposed substrates which are colonised by plants forming distinct patchy patterns. The aim of this study was to unravel whether patch-level landscape metrics of plants can be treated as functional traits. We sampled 46 plots, each 1 m x 1 m, distributed along a restricted range of terrain age and topsoil texture on the foreland of the Nardis glacier, located in the South-Eastern Alps, Italy. Nine quantitative functional traits were selected for 16 of the plant species present, and seven landscape metrics were measured to describe the spatial arrangement of the plant species' patches on the study plots, at a resolution of 1 cm x 1 cm. We studied the relationships among plant communities, landscape metrics, terrain age and topsoil texture. RLQ-analysis was used to examine trait-spatial configuration relationships. To assess the effect of terrain age and topsoil texture variation on trait performance, we applied a partial-RLQ analysis approach. Finally, we used the fourth-corner statistic to quantify and test relationships between traits, landscape metrics and RLQ axes. Floristically-defined relevé clusters differed significantly with regard to several landscape metrics. Diversity in patch types and size increased and patch size decreased with increasing canopy height, leaf size and weight. Moreover, more compact patch shapes were correlated with an increased capacity for the conservation of nutrients in leaves. Neither plant species composition nor any of the landscape metrics were found to differ amongst the three classes of terrain age or topsoil texture. We conclude that patch-level landscape metrics of plants can be treated as species-specific functional traits. We recommend that existing databases of functional traits should incorporate these type of data

Landscape metrics for determining landscape prices

International audienceThis paper reviews the landscape metrics used in economic valuations of farmland and forest landscapes. The diversity of landscape indicators used in the literature (land use, landscape composition, distance from landscape assets, seen landscapes: viewshed, objects, shapes) sometimes leads to divergent results. After reviewing the literature, we present a numerical model of the visible landscape, combining satellite images and digital elevation models. Associated with a hedonic model of price valuation, this geographical model offers the flexibility required to test several landscape metrics. The results show that although these have substantial effects on the estimation of the price of a particular landscape seen from a given house, the hedonic prices obtained have rather similar mean values

Environmental drivers of benthic communities: the importance of landscape metrics

The distribution of aquatic communities is dependent on processes that act at multiplescales. This study comprised 270 samples distributed over 2 years and used a nested sampling design to estimate the variance associated with three spatial scales: basin, site and microhabitat. Habitat assessment was made using River Habitat Survey. The derived Habitat Quality Indices and the benthic composition were crossed with landscape metrics and types of soil use, obtained from GIS data, using multiple non-parametric regressions and distance-based redundancy analysis. Invertebrate variation was mainly linked with intermediate scale (site) and landscape metrics were the main drivers determining local characteristics. The aquatic community exhibited a stronger relationship with landscape metrics, especially patch size and shape complexity of the dominant uses, than with habitat quality, suggesting that instream habitat improvement is a short-term solution and that stream rehabilitation must address the influence of components at higher spatial scales