Landscape Ecology

Landscape ecology examines how spatial patterns of land cover and land use influence ecological processes and how, in turn, those processes shape the arrangement of habitats over time. It embraces heterogeneity by treating the land surface as a mosaic of patches—each with distinct biotic and abiotic attributes—interconnected through flows of energy, materials and organisms. Key concepts include scale, recognising that ecological phenomena differ when viewed at local, regional or continental extents; connectivity, which governs movement among habitat patches; and edge effects, where boundaries between land-cover types alter microclimate and species interactions. Landscape ecologists integrate field observations, remote sensing and spatially explicit models to address questions of biodiversity conservation, ecosystem service provisioning, land-use planning and climate-change adaptation. Practical applications range from designing networks of protected areas and ecological corridors to managing agricultural and urban landscapes for both human well-being and ecological resilience. By linking processes such as succession, dispersal, disturbance and anthropogenic land-use change, landscape ecology provides a framework for understanding how complex socio-ecological systems respond to global and local drivers.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Global analyses combining satellite data with spaceborne LiDAR reveal that selective logging and fire reduce tropical forest canopy height by up to 50% and above-ground biomass by 20–30%, with slow recovery over decades and persistent edge-induced losses measurable more than 1.5 km into intact forest. These findings underscore that degradation, not only outright deforestation, is a major driver of carbon and biodiversity loss.

Terrestrial LiDAR surveys in Amazonian fragments show that edge environments foster architectural shifts in pioneering trees—thicker branches and higher wood volume in small stems, yet shorter height in large trees—resulting in a net biomass decline at margins. This architectural response to fragmentation constitutes an overlooked mechanism exacerbating carbon losses in tropical landscapes.

Repeated ground-to-canopy LiDAR and microclimate measurements in old-growth Amazonian forests demonstrate that elevated edge temperatures trigger upper canopy leaf loss during dry seasons, which in turn drives understory greening. In contrast to core areas, edges exhibit a decoupling of phenological controls, highlighting that fragmentation alters the seasonal dynamics of forest structure and function.

Research from all publishers

An archetype analysis of remnant forest patches across West Africa identifies nine social-ecological cluster types characterised by precipitation regimes, proximity to protected areas and disturbance histories. By mapping biophysical and socio-ecological drivers, researchers prioritise conservation strategies tailored to each archetype—ranging from sacred groves to swamp-forest systems—thus informing regional restoration and sustainable use.

Studies of caterpillar dispersal in fragmented meadows combine multi-year field data with correlated random-walk models to derive species-specific movement kernels. Findings reveal that local clustering of nests and resource heterogeneity produce non-linear relationships between density and conspecific contact rates, with important implications for modelling pathogen transmission and population persistence in patchy landscapes.

Landscape Ecology publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in landscape ecology across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Patch: A contiguous area within a landscape with relatively uniform cover and ecological function, such as a forest fragment or meadow.

Matrix: The dominant background land-cover type in which patches are embedded, influencing movement and connectivity.

Connectivity: The degree to which the landscape facilitates or impedes movement among habitat patches for organisms and ecological flows.

Edge effects: Ecological changes—such as altered light, temperature or species interactions—that occur at the boundaries between adjacent land-cover types.

Landscape heterogeneity: The spatial variability in composition, configuration and quality of patches across a landscape.

Scale: The spatial or temporal dimension at which ecological patterns or processes are observed or analysed, ranging from local plots to entire biomes.

References

1. Human degradation of tropical moist forests is greater than previously estimated. Nature (2024).
2. Edge effects on tree architecture exacerbate biomass loss of fragmented Amazonian forests. Nature Communications (2023).
3. Forest fragmentation impacts the seasonality of Amazonian evergreen canopies. Nature Communications (2022).
4. Archetypes of remnant West African forest patches, their main characteristics and geographical distribution. Applied Geography (2023).
5. Caterpillar movement mediates spatially local interactions and determines the relationship between population density and contact. Movement Ecology (2024).