The landscape ecology it is the discipline that arises from the interaction between physical geography and biology. In it the landscape can be defined as a geographical area product of the interaction of abiotic and biotic factors, including anthropic (human).
The term landscape ecology was initially coined by Carl Troll in the late 1930s, and as early as 1968 the first international symposium on the discipline took place. However, it was from the 1980s that it reached its peak with the works of Forman, Godron and other North Americans..
This discipline considers the landscape as a level of biological organization superior to the ecosystem, being the expression of a set of ecosystems. On the other hand, the landscape has an existence in terms of human perception, that is, it is what is perceived from the environment.
Therefore, landscape ecology pays special attention to the role of the human being as a transforming agent and receptor of the landscape. It is a multidisciplinary field that has internationally with the International Association of Landscape Ecology (IALE, for its acronym in English).
This Association defines the objective of the discipline as the study of spatial variation in landscapes at different scales, as well as the establishment of the causes and consequences of landscape heterogeneity in physical, biological and social terms..
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The landscape is a geographical area that is the product of a certain combination of ecosystems that is perceived by humans. It is the object of study of landscape ecology, in terms of its geographical and biological attributes..
Landscape is a higher-level unit than the ecosystem, as it represents a combination of ecosystems. Therefore, it is the product of the interaction of the attributes provided by the constituent ecosystems..
Among the abiotic factors the relief and the climate are fundamental, while among the biotic factors are all the living organisms that inhabit it, highlighting the flora and fauna..
Nowadays, in most landscapes, even in those that we call natural, the human being is also added as another biotic factor. In fact, one of the greatest shaping forces of the landscape is the anthropic activity, that is to say, human.
A landscape appears to us as a territorial mosaic made up of a matrix made up of various components. In general, the matrix corresponds to the dominant environment, for example agricultural land, bare soil or water..
While the components can be living elements, such as plants forming forests, rocky outcrops or islands in the sea. The components located on the matrix are called spots or fragments.
The spots are connected to each other by corridors or connecting routes. In turn, the relationships between spots and corridors define the composition of the landscape and the configuration of the landscape. The first referred to the variety and abundance of fragments in a landscape, and the second to the spatial distribution of said fragments.
The landscape has a functional dimension, defined by the flows of matter and energy that take place in it, since in a given landscape there are flows of water, wind, living beings and various materials.
Likewise, different natural and social processes occur, depending on their nature. Among the former, the biogeochemical cycles stand out, such as those of water and carbon, among others..
While among the latter are human productive processes, such as agriculture, rural or urban life in general. Therefore, this dimension provides an economic value given the effects of all these functions on people's lives..
Another dimension of the landscape is the temporal one, which is very relevant and refers to the changes it undergoes over time. These changes can be positive or negative both in terms of their functionality and in terms of anthropic interests. Thus, human actions are the greatest factor of change in the landscape, especially due to pollution..
On the other hand, the landscape also has an aesthetic dimension for the human being, having an economic value due to tourism. This dimension is given by the psychological impact that the landscape has on the human being.
Although there are as many types of landscape as there are fields of vision that the human being can establish, in general they are grouped into two categories.
Natural landscapes are those where neither their structure nor their functions have been substantially altered by human action. In general terms, today it is difficult to look at and find a terrestrial landscape where the human being has not arrived.
However, a natural landscape is considered to be any geographical area that does not include any structure of anthropic origin. Likewise, where the perceived structure is not the product of human action, so for example, a forest plantation would not in the strict sense be a natural landscape..
Anthropic landscapes are the product of human intervention, even if they include natural elements. In these, the determining factor is that their structure has been defined fundamentally by the hand of the human being.
In this sense we speak of urban landscape, to refer to the view of a city. Similarly, a rural landscape is an anthropic landscape, insofar as it includes roads, farms, corrals, crops and other components of this nature..
Likewise, we speak of a cultural landscape to refer to some human structure of special cultural value. For example, a Romanesque church in the middle of the countryside or a cathedral in the middle of a city.
Landscape ecology is a multidisciplinary field, as it merits the participation of geographers, biologists, ecologists, geologists, and many other disciplines. Its scholars seek to highlight the patterns and processes that make up the landscape.
Landscape ecology seeks to know the components and functions of the landscape, as well as its transformation over time. To do this, he reduces it to its basic structural components, in terms of matrix, spots and corridors..
The matrix is defined by establishing the base of the landscape, which can be the ground or a rocky mass of a mountain range. Then the patches are delimited, which can be isolated wooded masses or a large jungle area.
If it is a rural landscape, the spots can include farms, forests, ponds, crops. Finally, the open areas that connect one spot with another in space are established, that is, the corridors.
The main interest is the number of spots and the number of habitats that are established in the landscape. The size of the spots, their shapes, the length of their margins and their distribution in the matrix. In general, the aim is to establish the diversity and heterogeneity of the spots, as well as their connectivity.
The different functions that occur in the landscape, the ecosystems that make it up and the relationships between them are studied and defined. The flows of matter and energy between the different spots and the role of the corridors between them.
Landscape ecology observes the changes in the properties of the three fundamental elements (matrix, spots, corridors), as well as their effects on ecosystems both structurally and functionally..
In this area, it focuses mainly on the increase or decrease of habitats or their fragmentation. Also in the increase or decrease in the number of stains, as well as their variation in size or increase in their isolation..
Landscape ecology is a fundamental tool for achieving sustainable development, since it allows us to know the landscape both in its structure and function, as well as in its transformations over time..
In this way, it enables key tools for spatial planning, conservation and evaluation of environmental impacts..
Knowing the landscape and its dynamics is essential to be able to define the different uses to give the territory with sustainable criteria. It allows establishing productive areas, conservation areas and those destined for human housing, as well as guarantees harmony between anthropic needs and ecological dynamics..
Discipline is essential for the planning and design of production processes, for example the establishment of a forest area. Like the design of a city or an industrial park, like the delimitation of a national park.
In terms of conservation biology, knowledge of the landscape structure and especially its functioning is vital. An example of this are the so-called ecological corridors, which would correspond to certain corridors of the landscape that allow biological exchange between spots..
In other words, guaranteeing that the planning of the territory does not block the reproductive flow of the species. For example, a road can divide an animal or plant population preventing its individuals from reproducing among themselves..
It is not possible to assess what impact a given human intervention may have on the landscape and its ecosystems, without prior knowledge. Only by knowing the structure and operation of the landscape is it possible to project the possible impacts of the alterations to be made.
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