ABSTRACT
Chapter 24 defines landscape ecology as the study of spatial heterogeneity in areas of land, usually square kilometers in extent, composed of interacting ecosystems or patches. A major theme includes the incorporation of human dimensions and landscapes within its study. A second theme focuses on several spatial scales but especially large scales that must be viewed with remote sensing such as satellites, use of hierarchy theory, and the ability to integrate all the other subdisciplines of ecology. Through use of remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), global positioning systems, LiDAR, and other technologies, landscape ecology can define the boundaries of habitat patches. Landscape ecology has built on models from island biogeography theory, metapopulations, patch dynamics models, and matrix corridor models. The hope is to advance models that will identify landscapes from the perspective of the species themselves rather than humans, and to incorporate gradients of habitat rather than patches. Using the power of technology, landscape ecology naturally integrates all the subdisciplines of ecology, but requires training in the use of technology. Free courses in GIS are available from several sources.
