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Eric Gustafson
USDA Forest Service
Landscape Ecology is a discipline that studies the relationship
between the spatial patterns in ecological systems and
how those systems function. To me, an ecological question
is a landscape ecology question if it cannot be answered
without considering spatial components. Therefore, in
my mind, spatial scale is not the defining characteristic
of landscape ecology, even though landscape ecologists
typically study systems at broad spatial scales. Another
feature of landscape ecology is its focus on temporal
change. Ecological systems tend to change at rates that
are difficult for humans to perceive, but there are important
temporal features of the shifting mosaic of ecological
systems that must be understood to enable enlightened
management. The combination of spatial and temporal ecology
makes landscape ecology an exciting field for researchers
and managers.
About Eric Gustafson
I am a Research Ecologist in the North Central Research Station of the US
Forest Service. I am the Project Leader for the only Research Unit in the Forest
Service that has Landscape Ecology as its only mission.
The Forest Service, along with most other land management agencies, has come
to recognize the importance of considering landscape pattern and landscape
context when making management decisions. In fact, landscape ecology principles
have been formally included in the management regulations for much of the federal
land base. It is therefore a very exciting time to be a landscape ecology scientist,
because managers are eager to receive landscape ecology research, and the results
of our work is now making a difference on the ground.
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