Amin Rastandeh

Peri-urban landscapes are the meeting point of a wide range of human activities, power dynamics, and social-ecological processes in the Anthropocene. Multiple interests, as well as differences in governance regimes and decision-making processes increase the complexity of peri-urban landscapes. With this complexity as a background, we place our focu...

We provide a picture of public attitudes toward desirable land uses and land features (LULFs) for the future of the Upper Missouri River Basin (UMRB) and examine if residents’ desires are correlated with socioenvironmental conditions of their landscapes. We conducted a survey of residents in 22 human population centers (HPCs), generated a ranking o...

The Upper Missouri River Basin (UMRB) was used as a study region to examine how the spatial distribution of social values (SVs) people hold for their landscapes overlaps with ecoregions of the UMRB and how the results can be interpreted to inform regional‐scale strategic landscape management for optimizing the production of ecosystem services. The...

Socioecological information should be properly employed in the process of spatial analysis, planning, and management in order to respond to complex and multidirectional biodiversity issues. We conducted this study to map socioecological hotspots, where landscapes of social significance and wildlife habitats overlap, show to what extent and how the...

Although biodiversity conservation and restoration can significantly contribute to environmental health in urban areas, rapid urbanization undermines biodiversity in various ways. We hypothesize that one challenge that will arise after the COVID-19 pandemic is the accelerated expansion of urban areas through two distinct mechanisms: more informal s...

As the linked impacts of climate change and degradation of ecosystems continue to be felt, particularly in developing countries, it is vital that methods for development that concurrently address adaptation to climate change, rapid urbanisation, and ecosystem degradation be explored. Further development of approaches which are participatory and emb...

Research shows most New Zealand cities have been established at ecosystem junctions and there exists a widespread conflict of requirements between exotic and native wildlife in these regions. This study was conducted to map challenges and opportunities for urban wildlife management from a spatial perspective in Christchurch New Zealand (43.53° S, 1...

Landform diversity has been identified as one means to support biodiversity in the face of rising temperatures. The aim of this research is to show methods for researchers to measure the capability of urban landscapes in safeguarding fauna against the impacts of rising temperatures. A case study of Wellington, New Zealand, shows that 1276 ha of the...

There is sufficient evidence to show that both humans and fauna are profoundly affected by landscape pattern composition and configuration in relation to adaptation to climate change impacts in urban landscapes. Despite this, global-scale research that ranks which components of landscape pattern play the most pivotal roles in this process is absent...

Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor) is one of the most ecologically important seabirds in New Zealand and depends strongly on terrestrial ecosystems for nesting, moulting and breeding. Wellington, New Zealand, is one of the world's most important biodiversity hot spots for this species, mostly in confluence with human urban settlements. This species i...

Although biodiversity in cities is essential to ensure the healthy functioning of ecosystems and biosecurity over time, biodiversity loss resulting from human interventions in land cover patterns is widespread in urban landscapes. In the Southern Hemisphere, climate change is likely to accelerate the process of landscape upheavals, and consequently...

Biodiversity loss in urban landscapes is a global challenge. Climate change is a major driving force behind biodiversity loss worldwide. Using Wellington, New Zealand as a research site, the aim of this research is to show how the most suitable patches of vegetation in urban landscapes can be identified, ranked, and prioritised as potential urban w...

Terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are being degraded in Port Vila, Vanuatu (population c.75,000), mainly from rapid population growth (up to c.8% per annum), urban intensification, and overharvesting in coastal marine ecosystems. The rate and nature of population growth, economic development and climate change impacts are among the most important...

Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) Project Implementation Plans, Port Vila, Vanuatu'. Wellington, New Zealand: Report prepared by Victoria University of Wellington for the Pacific Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Climate Change Programme (PEBACC) of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). As part of the process of selectin...

Ecosystem Assessment and Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA) Options for Port Vila, Vanuatu'. Wellington, New Zealand: Report prepared by Victoria University of Wellington for the Pacific Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Climate Change (PEBACC) Programme of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). Port Vila is the capital an...

It has been well established that biodiversity plays an irreplaceable role in ensuring the quality of human life through supporting ecosystem functions and services. As more and more people prefer to live in cities worldwide, biodiversity loss in urban environments is being increasingly reported more than ever before. This, in turn, may have a nega...

Evidence shows that in the absence of intact natural habitats, some exotic patches of vegetation may play a compensatory role in supporting indigenous biodiversity in urban environments. This paper suggests that in urban settings where landscapes already contain non-natives, both indigenous and exotic flora may be necessary to maintain indigenous b...

This study focuses on the feasibility of applying alternative futures and scenario analysis in landscape planning during climate change to provide a wider perspective and deeper understanding of this approach for better use and more effective application in the future. The study consists of a literature review and an analysis of recent applied proj...

Raziskava se osredotoča na možnost uporabe analize alternativnih prihodnosti in scenarijev pri krajinskem načrtovanju v obdobju podnebnih sprememb, kar bi zagotovilo širši pogled in poglobljeno razumevanje tega pristopa ter s tem njegovo boljšo in učinkovitejšo uporabo v prihodnosti. Raziskava vključuje pregled literature in analizo praktičnih proj...

The book provides a deeper understanding of possible research methods in urban environments with simple examples designed to help the reader to shape a clearer picture of the application of each method/technique in the real world. Strategically designed and written to support nature-oriented perspectives in urban regions, the audience of this book...