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The assessment of landscape functions - one precondition to define management goals
Abstract
The assessment of landscape functions and natural potentials is an important step to transform natural scientific parameters (knowledge) into socio-economic and political categories. By examining the steps analysis, evaluation and prognosis, consequences for landscape management from an ecological point of view can be drafted. The scientifically supported arguments are weighed against other aspects (of human society) and contribute to the formulation of visions of landscape development in a certain area. It is very important to consider scale (dimension) and time aspects (landscape change). In order to maintain and to improve the capacity of the landscape to perform ist essential functions, the use of a decision tree is helpful, which contains a practicable working algorithm according to the ecological risk analysis.
... The proposal is to meet society needs (Mazur and Drdos, 1984;Shishenko, 1986;Salinas, 1991) by covering land suitability for the use of socioeconomic activities that may reflect on certain socioeconomic functions attributed to landscapes, depending on their physical-natural properties. Bastian (1998), Salas (2002) and Bastian et al. (2012) bring up the synonym "landscape function", which reflects the effects realized in a concrete and immediate way by the landscape for society in a broad sense. The effects may be classified as economic, social, and ecological. ...
The landscape geoecology aims at a systemic and integrated comprehension of physical–natural and anthropic components. It cooperates to identify and map landscape units, as well as to define indicators that establish their geoecological diagnosis mitigating measurements for preservation and use. The objective is to determine the state and geoecological diagnosis of landscapes of the Formoso River Watershed, located in the municipality of Bonito/MS, Brazil. The methodology consists of four stages: (i) the organization to define the study area and worked themes; (ii) the inventory and analysis characterizing the rocks, soils, relief, and anthropic use to define the landscape units; (iii) the diagnosis to establish the condition and geoecological diagnosis of landscapes; and (iv) the prognosis and proposals to define recommendations, envisioning trend, and desired scenarios for the watershed. The delimitation, classification, and mapping of landscape units, on a scale of 1:100,000, allow to identify the existing landscape heterogeneity. Thus, the condition and geoecological diagnosis are determined highlighting that extensive areas of “Altered Landscapes” potentialize the current watershed environmental problems: a fact that contributes to define future development scenarios, as well as recommendations to ensure a harmonious use to preserve the landscapes. The present work aims to contribute to the advancement of landscape geoecology and the study of tropical karst landscapes in a theoretical– methodological and practical way. Moreover, it is essential to support public power decision making, and assist researchers, institutions in charge of conservation and tourism to search solutions to watershed current and future environmental problems.
... Later we propose a new method for the evaluation of landscape ecological balance, where dissipative processes of ecosystems will play a major role both in ecosystem homeostasis and in the spatial ecological balance of the landscape. • • • • • Landscape functionality may express landscape health but also variety and capacity of natural resources and nature functions (Bastian, 1998), which represent a spectre of landscape properties utilized by man. Crucial are especially life supporting functions, so called ecosystem services (Daily et al., 2002 -e.g. ...
In this contribution we try to project some concepts of the complexity theory to landscape ecological research, especially into the design of ecological networks. At first, we utilize exergy dissipation concept to justify our model of an ecologically integrated landscape and to analyse the concept of ecological stability. We outline basic principles of the new method of the ecological balance evaluation and point to the exergy relation to spatial ecological balance and connectivity. Connectivity is already expressed in the concept of ecological networks (EN) or territorial systems of ecological stability (TSES). Search for a dynamic ecological balance based on effective exergy dissipation and for an optimal connectivity (not a maximal one) should be recognized as an important design criteria for ENs and TSESs. Apart from the "exergy approach" the design of EN and TSES can be improved also by means of the landscape metrics (esp. connectivity indexes).
... There is no question that only a description of the landscape is not sufficient for planning purposes. A purposeful processing of the analytical data is necessary, i.e., the combination of results of scientific exploration and measurements with technical and economic parameters and, finally, the transformation of geosynergetic and ecological parameters into economic and social indices ... (transferring naturalscience categories to social-science categories in the field of landscape research Neef 1969, Haase 1990, Bastian 1998a. The "transformation problem" includes -as a crucial step of landscape diagnosis or "the core of the application value of landscape ecology" (Zonneveld 1995)the evaluation of landscape characteristics with respect to social requirements and functions. ...
The appearance of contemporary landscape ecology is not unified at all, due to historical reasons (rooted in different disciplines, esp. in geography and biology) as well as differences between theoretical science and practical application. Owing to the various aspects of a landscape (components, processes, interdependencies), landscape ecology should be understood in an integrative manner accommodating different views and approaches. The principle of complementary might help to understand the character of landscapes and landscape ecology.
Facing the increasing environmental problems and the goal of sustainability a holistic approach to comprehend human-nature-relations turns out to be a real challenge: The initially defined boundaries of disciplines have to be overcome with the aim of transdisciplinarity. Important steps towards this direction are the landscape diagnosis (esp. the evaluation), the identification of landscape functions and natural potentials as well as the development of landscape models.
... We prefer a trinomial classification of ES. The breakdown into productive (economic), regulatory (ecological) and socio-cultural functions or services (Bastian, 1991(Bastian, , 1998Bastian and Schreiber, 1999) has the advantage that it can be linked to both fundamental concepts of sustainability, economic and social development categories. This is in line with OECD (2003), who proposed three similar categories of ES as well. ...
According to European and German energy policies, the proportion of energy crops is to increase significantly in the coming years to meet the ambitious goals for renewable energies. Stimulated by the German Renewable Act (EEG), this has lead to a strong increment of energy crop, cultivation, especially maize for biogas production. The increased cultivation of energy crops can lead to severe negative impacts on ecosystem services (ES). Therefore, there is a necessity for a better regulation of bioenergy production. In our paper, we analyze possible impacts of an increased biomass production on ES and look at instruments to better regulate energy crop cultivation in Germany. We assess legal instruments, the EEG, how spatial planning might contribute for a better steering and in which way the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union influences framing practices in energy crop cultivation. It can be stated that the steering effects of many legal instruments are extremely weak to secure sustainability and ES. We can demonstrate that there is a necessity for precise minimum standards to be applied effectively at the local level. Also there is a strong need for tools and instruments to gain a spatial dimension for regulating bioenergy production.
... The introduction of this distinction surely coincides with an approach that is more societal demand oriented. Bastian (1998) argues that the ideas of landscape functions/natural potentials, which had been used first by Neef (1966), Haase (1978), Mannsfeld (1979) are helpful approaches not only for the analysis and the assessment of the landscape, but also to draft landscape-ecological goals. It is not a matter of landscape functions in the sense of "transport and fluxes of energy, mineral nutriments", "organisation of species", or "patch matrix interactions" (Forman, 1981). ...
... The advantage of anthropogenic interpretations of the term landscape lies in presentation of landscapes as biophysical nature–anthropogenic entities. In particular, they could be ranked along an axis from more or less anthropogenically transformed; the historic approach could be used for tracking and predicting changes of pattern and functional composition of anthropogenic land landscapes and assess landscape functions (e.g., Bastian 1999). At the same time, the anthropogenic interpretations of landscape remain mainly biophysical. ...
Policies at multiple levels pronounce the need to encompass both social and ecological systems in governance and management of natural capital in terms of resources and ecosystems. One approach to knowledge production and learning about landscapes as social–ecological systems is to compare multiple case studies consisting of large spaces and places. We first review the landscape concepts’ biophysical, anthropogenic, and intangible dimensions. Second, we exemplify how the different landscape concepts can be used to derive measurable variables for different sustainability indicators. Third, we review gradients in the three dimensions of the term landscape on the European continent, and propose to use them for the stratification of multiple case studies of social–ecological systems. We stress the benefits of the landscape concepts to measure sustainability, and how this can improve collaborative learning about development toward sustainability in social–ecological systems. Finally, analyses of multiple landscapes improve the understanding of context for governance and management.
Electronic supplementary material
The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-012-0368-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
... Another classification includes regulation, carrier, production and information functions (de Groot 1992). The relationships and conflicts between economy and ecology are especially emphasized by the contrast between 'natural functions' on the one side, and 'societal functions' on the other side (Niemann 1977;van der Maarel and Dauvellier 1978;Preobrazˇenskij et al. 1980) or by the classification into economic (production), ecological and societal functions (Bastian 1991(Bastian , 1998(Bastian , 1999. In this way, the concept of landscape functions can be linked to the discussion about sustainability with its established ecological, economic and societal categories of development. ...
Landscape diagnosis provides a bridge between scientific knowledge and socio-economic issues that is needed to meet the demands
of sophisticated landscape planning and management. The diagnostic assessment of landscape functions (capacities, goods and
services supported by the landscape) at different spatio-temporal scales is a valuable tool that can solve the transformation
problem. A variety of landscape classification systems – including biophysical and landscape units – can be applied as a spatial
reference system. Examples are described from the multitude of approaches to assess landscape functions that can be employed
in landscape diagnosis. The theoretical and methodological aspects of the approach are illustrated using examples both from
Germany and the Czech Republic. The examples focus on landscape functions such as groundwater recharge, regulation of water
balance, and resistance to wind erosion. In addition, the rarity of and threats to landscape types, landscape aesthetic values,
and the landscape character and landscape persistence are discussed.
... There is no question that only a description of the landscape is not sufficient for planning purposes. A purposeful processing of the analytical data is necessary, i.e., the combination of results of scientific exploration and measurements with technical and economic parameters and, finally, the transformation of geosynergetic and ecological parameters into economic and social indices ... (transferring naturalscience categories to social-science categories in the field of landscape research Neef 1969, Haase 1990, Bastian 1998a. The "transformation problem" includes -as a crucial step of landscape diagnosis or "the core of the application value of landscape ecology" (Zonneveld 1995)the evaluation of landscape characteristics with respect to social requirements and functions. ...
Contemporary landscape ecology is not unified at all.There are historical, geographical and biological reasons for the lack of unification, as well as differences between science and application. The search for a unified theory of landscape ecology should consider previous concepts such as ‘landscape diagnosis’ and ‘landscape functions’ which were elaborated in Central Europe. Because of the various aspects in a landscape (components, processes, relations), landscape ecology should be regarded as a multidisciplinary, better a transdisciplinary, science where different views and approaches are involved in a holistic manner. The principle of complementarity is helpful to understand and describe the landscape. As a crucial step, the transformation of natural science categories to categories of the human society is brought out. This is realized by land(scape) evaluation and by the elaboration of goals (visions) of landscape development.
Maps are one result of landscape ecological analyses showing the spatial arrangement of landscape complexes (see Chapter 2.2). With regard to different spatial dimensions of investigation landscape ecological maps vary in scale and content. Moreover, mapping methods, tools and techniques are individually transposed according to different approaches. Practical threats of landscape ecological research as well as needs in application necessitate the effort of maps as investigation, presentation and communication instruments, since:
the results demonstrated in maps represent a spatial scale-bound message that can be used for multifarious purposes
the statements being illustrated are more or less quantitative, and
synthesized landscape units are characterized in substance reducing and qualifying the significance of boarder lines between the single units (Leser 1997).
Birbhum district is very much enlightened for his physical and cultural properties. In this district, lateritic soil made different topography which is known as “khoai region”. Another important topography is river based flood plain. In western part of this district, basaltic topography is found. The heterogeneity of the landscape, the complexity of the components of the system, the change in the behaviour of populations living in such an environment and the pressure of the habitat resource constraints have a strong effect on organisms in that landscape. This landscape is shaped, maintained and/ or changed by disturbance. As a result human interference over land is also increased. Then bio-diversity became threatened, afforestation and land degradation taken place, socio-economic status changed etc. Land degradation’ means reduction or loss of the biological or economic productivity and complexity cropland, resulting from land uses or from a process arising from human activities and habitation patterns. Land degradation has greater impact on food security, rural livelihood and environmental regulatory capability as noted in many India’s district like Birbhum.
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.