LAA370 Landscape Ecology

Landscape architects and planners have a lot of influence on the spatial patterns in the landscape. These patterns are of relevance for among others, distribution and occurrence of many species (including alien species), people's perception, experience and use of the landscape, and landscape management. Knowledge about the importance of landscape content and composition is thus very important. This constitutes the core of landscape ecology.

This course introduces students to landscape-ecological concepts through work with aerial photos and map data of real landscapes. Students will learn about measuring and quantifying landscapes, how to define patches and quantify their characteristics such as size, shape, edge characteristics, pattern and connectedness. Students will learn about the ecological effects of different landscape processes including fragmentation, changes in connectivity, heterogeneity and grain size. Students will be introduced to different tools and data sources such as GIS, Naturbase, Artskart, Kilden and scientific literature.

The role of landscape ecology in planning and management will be taught through lectures, discussions and exercises about the effects of landscape structure on populations and communities, barriers, corridors, fauna passages and the theory of metapopulations. Early in the course, the students will start working on exercises and assignments that exemplify landscape-ecological concepts using specific examples related to the background theories and course literature.

1. Knowledge Students gain knowledge about landscape ecology’s background and historical development, important concepts, central topics for landscape ecological analysis and important landscape processes and functions. Students gain an understanding of the way landscape ecologists perceive landscape - as different elements located within a matrix. Moreover, students gain an understanding of how landscape changes can become very important for possibilities to preserve species diversity.

2. Skills Students are able to carry out a landscape ecological analysis based on mapped data and aerial photographs and use tools, data sources and scientific literature. Students are able to find solutions for landscape planning challenges taking the departure in landscape ecological principles and to show an understanding of the limitations to generalize solutions for one type of landscape.

3. General competence Students have an understanding of landscape ecological challenges, the role of landscape architects and spatial planners for landscape changes and of the importance to work interdisciplinary. Students can compile and present their analyses and argument for their suggested solutions.