Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Landscape assessment and monitoring

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Forest Landscapes and Global Change

Abstract

In the present chapter, we provide a basis for discussing some of the main issues concerning the dynamic behavior of landscape systems, and ways to assess their changes over time. We present an illustrative description of a particular Spanish monitoring program in which the authors have been involved. First, we describe landscapes as complex systems with ecosystems that exhibit inherently dynamic behavior. In the following section, we cover the topic of how to study landscape changes, and discuss some of the tools that have been most widely used in recent years. Section 2 discusses the main restrictions and limitations of these approaches, and Sect. 3 discusses the basic procedures used for landscape monitoring and assessment. Finally, Sect. 4 describes one assessment and monitoring program, the Spanish Rural Landscape Monitoring System (SISPARES), identifies bottlenecks, and assesses the system’s strengths and weaknesses. The overall purpose of the chapter is to provide readers with methodological tools to identify and evaluate structural and functional changes in landscapes, thereby supporting the development of guidelines for effective and sustainable landscape management.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Literature cited

  • Bodin O, Saura S (2010) Ranking individual habitat patches as connectivity providers: integrating network analysis and patch removal experiments. Ecol Model 221:2393–2405

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolliger J, Mladenoff DJ (2005) Quantifying spatial classification uncertainties of the historical Wisconsin landscape (USA). Ecography 28:141–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolliger J, Kienast F, Zimmermann NE (2000) Risk of global warming on montane subalpine forest in Switzerland—a modeling study. Reg Environ Change 1:99–111

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolliger J, Lischke H, Green DG (2005) Simulating the spatial and temporal dynamics of landscapes using generic and complex models. Ecol Complex 2(2):483–496

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolliger J, Wagner HH, Turner MG (2009) Identifying and quantifying landscape patterns in space and time. In: Kienast F, Wildi O, Ghosh S (eds) A changing world. Challenges for landscape research. Springer Science + Business Media, New York, pp 177–194

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown DG, Aspinall R, Bennett DA (2006) Landscape models and explanation in landscape ecology—a space for generative landscape science. Prof Geogr 18(4):369–382

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brunt JW (2000) Data management principles, implementation and administration. In: Michener WK, Brunt JW (eds) Ecological data: design, management and processing. Blackwell Science, Oxford, pp 25–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Buchecker M, Kianicka S, Junker B (2009) Value systems: drivers of human-landscape interactions. In: Kienast F, Wildi O, Ghosh S (eds) A changing world. Challenges for landscape research. Springer Science + Business Media, New York, pp 7–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Bunce RGH, Smith RS (1978) An ecological survey of Cumbria. Cumbria Country Council, Kendal

    Google Scholar 

  • Bunce RGH, Barr CJ, Clarke RT, Howard DC, Lane AMJ (1996a) ITE Merlewood land classification of Great Britain. J Biogeogr 23(5):625–634

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bunce RGH, Barr CJ, Gillespie MK, Howard DC (1996b) The ITE land classification: providing an environmental stratification of Great Britain. Environ Monit Assess 39(1–3):39–46

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bunce RGH, Metzger MJ, Jongman RHG, Brandt J, de Blust G, Elena-Rosselló R, Groom GB, Halada L, Hofer G, Howard DC, Kovar P, Mucher CA, Padoa-Schioppa E, Paelinx D, Palo A, Perez-Soba M, Ramos IL, Roche P, Skanes H, Wrbka T (2008) A standardized procedure for surveillance and monitoring European habitats and provision of spatial data. Landsc Ecol 23:11–25. doi:10.1007/s10980-007-9173-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bürgi M, Hersperger AM, Hall M, Southgate WB, Schneeberger N (2009) Using the past to understand the present land use and land cover. In: Kienast F, Wildi O, Ghosh S (eds) A changing world. Challenges for landscape research. Springer Science + Business Media, New York, pp 133–144

    Google Scholar 

  • COE (2000) European landscape convention. Council of Europe, Strasbourg. http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/heritage/Landscape/default_en.asp

  • Cousins SAO, Lindborg R (2002) Assessing changes in plant distribution patterns—indicator species versus plant distribution types. Ecol Indic 1:17–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Dale VA (2001) Challenges in the development and use of ecological indicators. Ecol Indic 1:3–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De’Ath G, Fabricius KE (2000) Classification and regression trees: a powerful yet simple technique for ecological data analysis. Ecology 81:3178–3192

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • EGIF (2009) Los incendios forestales en España. Technical report of “Area de Defensa Contra Incendios Forestales” of the Spanish Ministry of the Environment, Madrid (in Spanish)

    Google Scholar 

  • Eiden G, Kayadjanian M, Vidal C (2000) Chapter 2. Quantifying landscape structures: spatial and temporal dimensions. In: Commission E (ed) From land cover to landscape diversity in the European Union. European Commission, Brussels

    Google Scholar 

  • Elena-Rosselló R, Ferreiro GT, Castejón Ayuso MA, Palomares OS (1993) Clasificación biogeoclimática territorial de España (CLATERES): una herramienta de utilidad para planificar la reforestación de España. Montes 33:50–56 (in Spanish)

    Google Scholar 

  • Elena-Rosselló R, Tella G, Castejón M (1996) Clasificación biogeoclimática de España peninsular y balear. Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación, Madrid (in Spanish)

    Google Scholar 

  • Elena-Rosselló R, Kelly M, Martín A, González-Avila S, Sánchez de Ron D, García del Barrio JM (2013) Recent dynamics of oak woodlands: a comparative ecological study at landscape scale. In: Campos-Palacin P, Hutsinger L, Oviedo JL (eds) Mediterranean oak woodland working landscapes: Dehesas of Spain and Ranchlands of California. Springer, Dordrecht, pp 427–459

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Fath BD, Scharler UM, Ulanowicz RE, Hannon B (2007) Ecological network analysis: network construcción. Ecol Model 208(1):49–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forman RTT, Godron M (1981) Patches and structural components for landscape ecology. Bioscience 31:733–740

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forman RTT, Godron M (1986) Landscape ecology. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • García del Barrio JM, Bolaños F, Elena-Rosselló R (2003) Clasificación de los paisajes rurales españoles según su composición espacial. Invest Agrar Sist Recur For 12(3):5–17 (in Spanish)

    Google Scholar 

  • García-Feced C, González-Ávila S, Elena-Rosselló R (2008) Metodología para la tipificación y caracterización estructural de paisajes en comarcas forestales españolas. Invest Agrar Sist Recur For 17:130–142 (in Spanish)

    Google Scholar 

  • García-Feced C, Saura S, Elena-Rosselló R (2011) Improving landscape connectivity in forest districts: a two-stage process for prioritizing agricultural patches for reforestation. For Ecol Manage 261(1):154–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibson CC, Ostrom E, Anh TK (2000) The concept of scale and human dimensions of global change: a survey. Ecol Econ 32:217–239

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heinz Center (2008) Landscape pattern indicators for the nation. H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Howard DC, Bunce RGH (1996) The countryside information system: a strategic level decision support system. Environ Monit Assess 39:373–384

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Howard DC, Petit S, Bunce RGH (2000) Monitoring multi-functional landscape at a national scale—guidelines drawn up from the countryside survey of Great Britain. In: Brandt J, Tress B, Tress G (eds) Multifunctional landscapes: interdisciplinary approaches to landscape research and management. Centre for Landscape Research, Roskilde, pp 51–62

    Google Scholar 

  • Ihse M (1995) Swedish agricultural landscapes—patterns and changes during the last 50 years, studied by aerial photos. Landsc Urban Plan 31:21–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Irwin E, Geoghegan J (2001) Theory, data, methods: developing spatially-explicit economic models of land use change. Agric Ecosyst Environ 85:7–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaufmann E, Schwyzer A (2001) Control survey of the terrestrial inventory. In: Brassel P, Lischke H (eds) National forest inventory: methods and models of the second assessment. Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, pp 114–124

    Google Scholar 

  • King AW, Perera AH (2007) Transfer and extension of forest landscape ecology: a matter of models and scale. In: Perera AH, Buse LJ, Crow TR (eds) Forest landscape ecology. Springer Science + Business Media, New York, pp 19–41

    Google Scholar 

  • Lanz A, Brändli M, Baltensweiler A (2009) A large-scale, long term view on collecting and sharing landscape data. In: Kienast F, Wildi O, Ghosh S (eds) A changing world. Challenges for landscape research. Springer Science + Business Media, New York, pp 93–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Lausch A, Herzog F (2002) Applicability of landscape metrics for the monitoring of landscape change: issues of scale, resolution and interpretability. Ecol Indic 2:3–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li H, Wu J (2004) Use and misuse of landscape indices. Landsc Ecol 19:389–399

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li X, Yeh AG (2002) Neural-network-based cellular-automata for simulating multiple land use changes using GIS. Int J Geogr Inf Sci 16(4):323–344

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lischke H, Bolliger J, Seppelt R (2009) Dynamic spatio-temporal landscape models. In: Kienast F, Wildi O, Ghosh S (eds) A changing world. Challenges for landscape research. Springer Science + Business Media, New York, pp 273–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin-Martin C, Saura S, Bunce B, Elena-Rosselló R (2013) Recent changes in landscape forest connectivity and spatial patterns in Spain: interactions with wildfire vulnerability assessed through the SISPARES monitoring framework. Ecol Indic. doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2013.01.018

  • McGarigal K, Cushman SA, Neel MC, Ene E (2002) FRAGSTATS: spatial pattern analysis program for categorical maps. Computer software. University of Massachusetts, Amherst. http://www.umass.edu/landeco/research/fragstats/fragstats.html

  • Metzger MJ, Bunce RGH, Jongman RHG, Mücher CA, Watkins JW (2005) Climatic stratification of the environment of Europe. Global Ecol Biogeogr 14(6):549–563

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Neill RV, Johnson AR, King AW (1989) A hierarchical framework for the analysis of scale. Landsc Ecol 3:193–205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ortega M, Bunce RGH, García del Barrio JM, Elena-Rosselló R (2008) The relative dependence of Spanish landscape pattern on environmental and geographical variables over time. Invest Agrar Sist Recur For 17:114–129

    Google Scholar 

  • Ortega M, Metzger M, Bunce RGH, Wrbka T, Allard A, Jongman RHG, Elena-Rosselló R (2012a) The potential for integration of environmental data from regional stratifications into a European monitoring framework. J Environ Plan Manage 55:39–57

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ortega M, Saura S, González-Avila S, Gómez-Sanz V, Elena-Rosselló R (2012b) Landscape vulnerability to wildfires at the forest–agriculture interface: half-century patterns in Spain assessed through the SISPARES monitoring framework. Agrofor Syst 85:331–349. doi:10.1007/s10457-011-9423-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saura S, Torné J (2009) Conefor Sensinode 2.2: a software package for quantifying the importance of habitat patches for landscape connectivity. Environ Model Softw 24:135–139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stierlin HR (2001) Criteria and previsions for quality assurance. In: Brassel P, Lischke H (eds) National forest inventory: methods and models of the second assessment. Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, pp 109–113

    Google Scholar 

  • Syrbe RU, Bastian O, Röder M, James P (2007) A framework for monitoring landscape functions: the Saxon Academy Landscape Monitoring Approach (SALMA), exemplified by soil investigations in the Kleine Spree floodplain (Saxony, Germany). Landsc Urban Plan 79:190–199. doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2006.02.005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner MG (1989) Landscape ecology: the effect of pattern and process. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 20:171–197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner II BL, Skole DL, Sanderson S, Fischer G, Fresco LO, Leemans R (1995) Land-use and land-cover change—science/research plan. International Geosphere–Biosphere Programme, IGBP Report No. 35, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner MG, Ruscher CL (1988) Changes in landscape patterns in Georgia, USA. Landsc Ecol 1(4):241–251

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner MG, Gardner RH, O’Neill RV (2001) Landscape ecology in theory and practice: pattern and process. Springer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Urban DL (2002) Tactical monitoring of landscapes. In: Liu J, Taylor WW (eds) Integrating landscape ecology into natural resource management. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 294–311

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Urban DL, O’Neil RV, Shugart HH (1987) Landscape ecology. Bioscience 37:119–127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verburg PH (2006) Simulating feedbacks in land use and land cover change models. Landsc Ecol 21:1171–1183. doi:10.1007/s10980-006-0029-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verburg PH, Schot PP, Dijst MJ, Veldkamp A (2004) Land use change modeling: current practice and research priorities. GeoJournal 61:309–324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wagner HH, Fortin MJ (2005) Spatial analysis of landscapes: concepts and statistics. Ecology 86:1975–1987

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu J, Hobbes R (2002) Key issues and research priorities in landscape ecology: an idiosyncratic synthesis. Landsc Ecol 17:355–365

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecología y Gestión Forestal Sostenible (ECOGESFOR) Research Group, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Valentín Gómez-Sanz & Ramón Elena-Rosselló

  2. Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, 51041, Estonia

    Robert G. H. Bunce

Authors
  1. Valentín Gómez-Sanz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Robert G. H. Bunce
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ramón Elena-Rosselló
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ramón Elena-Rosselló .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environment and Natural Re, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Bragança, Portugal

    João C. Azevedo

  2. Ontario Forest Research Institute, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, SAULT STE MARIE, Ontario, Canada

    Ajith H. Perera

  3. Department of Environment and Natural Re, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Bragança, Portugal

    M. Alice Pinto

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Gómez-Sanz, V., Bunce, R.G.H., Elena-Rosselló, R. (2014). Landscape assessment and monitoring. In: Azevedo, J., Perera, A., Pinto, M. (eds) Forest Landscapes and Global Change. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0953-7_8

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation