Landscape Heterogeneity and Disturbance

Landscape pattern is generated by a variety of processes, including disturbances. In turn, the heterogeneity of the landscape may enhance or retard the spread of disturbance. The complex relationship between landscape pattern and disturbance is the subject of this book. It is designed to present an illustrative analysis of the topic, presenting the perspectives of several different disciplines. The book includes conceptual considerations, empirical studies, and management examples. Important features include: hypotheses about the spread of disturbance and the effects of scale changes in landscape studies; the multidisciplinary approach; and the explicit focus on the landscape level. The intended audience comprises graduate students, academics, and professionals interested in landscape ecology. The reader will receive a state-of-the-art treatment of a current topic in landscape ecology.

Section 1 Introduction.- 1. Landscape Ecology: State of the Art.- 2. Scale Effects in Landscape Studies.- Section 2 Disturbances in the Landscape.- 3. Landscape Ecology and Air Pollution.- 4. Parasites, Lightning, and the Vegetation Mosaic in Wilderness Landscapes.- 5. Fire, Grazing, and the Landscape Heterogeneity of a Georgia Barrier Island.- 6. Disturbance by Beaver (Castor canadensis Kuhl) and Increased Landscape Heterogeneity.- 7. Suppression of Natural Disturbance: Long-Term Ecological Change on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.- 8. Vegetation Dynamics in a Southern Wisconsin Agricultural Landscape.- Section 3 Implications for Landscape Management.- 9. Landscape Restoration in Response to Previous Disturbance.- 10. Patch-Within-Patch Restoration of Man-Modified Landscapes Within Texas State Parks.- 11. Progressiveness Among Farmers as a Factor in Heterogeneity of Farmed Landscapes.- Section 4 Conclusion.- 12. The Ethics of Isolation, the Spread of Disturbance, and Landscape Ecology.