Chapter 23 Outline
Case Study: Wolves in the Yellowstone Landscape
Landscape Ecology
CONCEPT 23.1 Landscape ecology examines spatial patterns and their relationship to ecological processes and changes.
- A landscape is a heterogeneous area composed of a dynamic mosaic of interacting ecosystems
- BOX 23.1 Thinking about Scale
- Landscape patterns affect ecological processes by regulating movement of elements and organisms
- Disturbance both creates and responds to landscape heterogeneity
Habitat Fragmentation
CONCEPT 23.2 Habitat fragmentation decreases habitat area, isolates populations, and alters conditions at habitat edges.
- Fragmented habitats are biologically impoverished relative to intact habitats
- The matrix between habitat fragments varies in permeability
- Edge effects change the physical environment and species abundances
- Fragmentation alters evolutionary processes
Designing Nature Reserves
CONCEPT 23.3 Biodiversity can best be sustained by large reserves connected across the landscape and buffered from areas of intense human use.
- Core natural areas should be large and compact
- Core natural areas should be buffered by compatible land uses
- Corridors can help maintain biodiversity in a fragmented landscape
- Ecological restoration can increase biodiversity in degraded landscapes
Ecosystem Management
CONCEPT 23.4 Ecosystem management is a collaborative process with the maintenance of long-term ecological integrity as its core value.
- Approaches to managing natural resources have become more collaborative over time
- Ecosystem management sets sustainable goals, implements policies, monitors effectiveness, and adjusts as necessary
- Humans are an integral part of ecosystems
Case Study Revisited: Wolves in the Yellowstone Landscape
Connections in Nature: Future Changes in the Yellowstone Landscape
