Abstract
The world's matrix of vegetation, which includes the spatial heterogeneity of its plants species and soils, is probably the most important component of landscape sustainability because it plays a key role in many ecological processes and helps to secure the intricate web of life. Among landscape ecologists, there is some dissatisfaction with current conceptualizations of spatial heterogeneity; and they suggest broader representations are needed. Key questions and research priorities for landscape ecology are proposed to advance knowledge about the world's matrix of vegetation as a biocultural system.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 356-360 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Landscape and Urban Planning |
| Volume | 100 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 30 2011 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:I want to thank Paul Gobster and an anonymous reviewer for their insightful suggestions that helped to greatly improve this manuscript. Some of the ideas for this manuscript emerged from activities during my Dayton Hudson Fellowship, faculty grant-in-aid project, and international travel grant. In addition, I want to thank Helga Fassbinder for providing me with her tour of Anne Frank's tree while I was in Amsterdam.
Keywords
- Biocultural diversity
- Biodiversity
- Habitat fragmentation
- Human-animal interactions
- Human-plant interactions
- Landscape ecology
- Landscape perceptions
- Landscape sustainability
- Spatial heterogeneity
- The matrix of vegetation