scholarly journals Transitions across agriculture-savannah edges: Why did the rodent cross the edge?

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Raye Ennis

Human-induced landscape alteration by agriculture is ubiquitous and impacts ecological processes and ecosystem services. The link between altered and native vegetation (hereafter edges) can create anthropogenic barriers for wildlife movement. Movement response to edges is dependent on landscape and functional group characteristics that shape spatial behavior in individuals; and affect population dynamics, dispersal, diversity, gene flow, and nutrient distribution. Few studies exist on small-mammal functional group movement response to edges, despite its integral role in behavioral and ecological processes. I analyzed the effect of altered land use on movement response in African savannah generalist Mastomys natalensis and specialist Lemniscomys rosalia. Each species was live-trapped for 2 months at 8 sites, across 2 boundary classes—homestead agriculture vs. savannah and commercial agricultural vs. savannah. Twelve individuals of each species were tracked and translocated at each transect with alternating treatments. Movement characteristics by M. natalensis showed a preference for altered land-use areas, possibly due to resource utilization. Conversely, L. rosalia showed a definitive trend (80%) to avoid edge crossing, regardless of abutting vegetative community, possibly due to their inability to cross and utilize altered landscapes. These results support the a priori hypothesis that altered land-use areas greatly impact specialists moving across the edge but only minimally affect generalist movements. Altered landscapes can affect small mammal movements and have cascading effects that alter vegetative and faunal communities.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3473
Author(s):  
Yong Lai ◽  
Guangqing Huang ◽  
Shengzhong Chen ◽  
Shaotao Lin ◽  
Wenjun Lin ◽  
...  

Anthropogenic land-use change is one of the main drivers of global environmental change. China has been on a fast track of land-use change since the Reform and Opening-up policy in 1978. In view of the situation, this study aims to optimize land use and provide a way to effectively coordinate the development and ecological protection in China. We took East Guangdong (EGD), an underdeveloped but populous region, as a case study. We used land-use changes indexes to demonstrate the land-use dynamics in EGD from 2000 to 2020, then identified the hot spots for fast-growing areas of built-up land and simulated land use in 2030 using the future land-use simulation (FLUS) model. The results indicated that the cropland and the built-up land changed in a large proportion during the study period. Then we established the ecological security pattern (ESP) according to the minimal cumulative resistance model (MCRM) based on the natural and socioeconomic factors. Corridors, buffer zones, and the key nodes were extracted by the MCRM to maintain landscape connectivity and key ecological processes of the study area. Moreover, the study showed the way to identify the conflict zones between future built-up land expansion with the corridors and buffer zones, which will be critical areas of consideration for future land-use management. Finally, some relevant policy recommendations are proposed based on the research result.


2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 699-707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiuzhen Li ◽  
Yongguang Sun ◽  
Ülo Mander ◽  
Yanlong He

Geografie ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-30
Author(s):  
Galina Kruglová ◽  
Jan Vaněk

The paper treats of harmful influences of the industrial sprawl, of ecological processes and phenomena interfering with socio-economic functions of the North Bohemian landscape. Great attention has been paid to special ecological problems related to open-cast mining, brown-coal preparation, uranium-ore mining, development of power stations, chemistry, land other industrial branches. According to the degree of anthropogenic influences owing to complex multi-line land use and conforming with ecological aspects, three types of regions have defined in the North Bohemian region.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-34
Author(s):  
Alvin Spivey ◽  
Anthony Vodacek

AbstractExtending the Landscape Pattern Metric (LPM) model analysis in Smith et al. (2001) into a LPM decision model, decadal scale prediction of fecal coliform compromised South Carolina watersheds is developed. The model’s parameter variability identifies the greatest contributors to a compromised watershed’s prediction. The complete set of model parameters include Land Cover Land Use (LCLU) & slope,along stream proportion, Fourier Metric of Fragmentation (FMF), Fourier Metric of Proportion (FMP), and Least Squares Fourier Transform Fractal Dimension (LsFT). The 1992 National Land Cover Data (NLCD) Land Cover Land Use (LCLU) within fecal coliform compromised watersheds is used to train the model parameters, and the 2001 NLCD LCLU is used to test the LPM model. The most significant model parameters arealong stream bare rock LsFT,FMF between urban/recreational grasses and evergreen forests, andFMF between deciduous forests and high density residential areas. These metrics contribute significantly more than the bestproportiondescriptor:proportion of urban/recreational grasses. In training, the proposed model correctly identified 92 % of the compromised watersheds; while the Smith et al. (2001) model 94 % of the compromised watersheds were correctly identified. This study reveals the ability of Fourier metrics to interpret ecological processes, and the need for more appropriate landscape level models.


Author(s):  
P. K. Joshi ◽  
Neena Priyanka

The dynamics of land use/land cover (LU/LC) is a manifestation of the cyclic correlation among the kind and magnitude of causes, impacts, responses and resulting ecological processes of the ecosystem. Thus, the holistic understanding of the complex mechanisms that control LU/LC requires synergetic adoption of measurement approaches, addressing issues, and identifying drivers of change and state of art technologies for mitigation measures. As the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of the LU/LC increases, its impact on biodiversity becomes even more difficult to anticipate. Thus, in order to understand the spatio-temporal dynamics of change in landscape and its relationship to biodiversity, it is necessary to reliably identify and quantify the indicators of change. In addition, it is also important to have better understanding of the technologies and techniques that serve as complimentary tool for land mitigation and conservation planning. Against this background, the chapter aims to synthesize LU/LC studies worldwide and their impacts on biodiversity. This chapter explores identification and analysis of key natural, socio-economic and regulatory drivers for LU/LC. Finally, it attempts to collate some LU/LC studies involving usage of geospatial tools, such as satellite remote sensing, Geographic Information System (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS), and integrative tools, besides conventional approaches that could assist decision makers, land managers, stakeholders and researchers in better management and formulation of conservation strategies based on scientific grounds.


There can be little doubt that there are truly colossal challenges associated with providing food, fibre and energy for an expanding world population without further accelerating already rapid rates of biodiversity loss and undermining the ecosystem processes on which we all depend. These challenges are further complicated by rapid changes in climate and its additional direct impacts on agriculture, biodiversity and ecological processes. There are many different viewpoints about the best way to deal with the myriad issues associated with land use intensification and this book canvasses a number of these from different parts of the tropical and temperate world. Chapters focus on whether science can suggest new and improved approaches to reducing the conflict between productive land use and biodiversity conservation. Who should read this book? Policy makers in regional, state and federal governments, as well as scientists and the interested lay public.


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