LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY REPORT

Landscape Ecology Report on the auto ecology of the European Beaver

Landscape Ecology Report on the auto ecology of the European Beaver

Introduction

The term landscape ecology was introduced by Carl Troll in 1939. It was defined as the study of causal relationships between ecological communities and their heterogeneous, patchy environments. The recognition of and emphasis on spatial heterogeneity separated landscape ecology from other classical ecological fields and inspired tremendous research interest in this “spatial ecology” Other basic concepts of landscape ecology were also formed during this early stage, including scale, hierarchy, and landscape dynamics.

The field of Landscape ecology is a relatively new field that is emerged from the subjects of geography, ecology, and the architecture of landscape. It focuses on the relationships between landscape patterns and ecological processes across a broad range of spatial and temporal scales. Human interactions are strongly emphasized, given the often dominant influence of humanity on landscape composition, structure, and functionality. In the past 20 to 30 years, a variety of pattern indices and modelling techniques have been developed to study the diverse, dynamic, human-modified ecosystems across the globe. Research has cast light on ecological conservation, natural resource management, landscape and urban planning, and sustainable land use in many European, North American, Oceanic, and Asian countries.

In 1982, the International Association of Landscape Ecology was founded. Landscape ecology, as an emerging academic discipline, began to draw increasing attention from scholars in the fields of ecology, geography, and sociology as well as from designers in landscape architecture and urban planning across the world. The theoretical concepts of landscape ecology evolved rapidly beginning in the 1980s, especially in the exploration of scale and its consequences for pattern and process recognition. Different sets of landscape metrics were created and widely implemented to quantify landscape spatial heterogeneity. Modelling techniques flourished, including neutral models and process-based models. Disturbance and ecosystem succession were extensively investigated and modelled with advanced remote sensing and spatial analysis techniques. Humans and their activities have been increasingly viewed as a landscape component rather than simply an external factor (Pinkowski 1983, pp. 312-314).

In the next section, we will examine the ecology of the European Beaver, along with Identification of different landscape niches exploited by chosen species, to satisfy ecological needs. Moreover, we will also assess the problems faced by species and the actions that can be taken to maintain and enhance landscape integrity for the species.

Discussion & Analysis

Beavers are often referred to as 'ecosystem engineers', because they make dam out of streams to create pond and wetland habitat, ultimately altering ecosystem structure and function. Subsequent effects are seen on the surrounding forest community as beaver selectively remove trees to maintain habitat infrastructure. As the foremost place foragers, beaver typically forage with greatest intensity adjacent to their lodge, and intensity decreases with distance from the lodge. In addition to distance from the foremost place, beaver impacts are dependent upon the duration of occupancy and frequency with which beaver re-occupy a particular location, as well as the natural topography, hydrology ...