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IJGI
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Geospatial Advances in Landscape Ecology
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Geospatial Advances in Landscape Ecology

A special issue of ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information (ISSN 2220-9964).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2020) | Viewed by 28985

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Janet Silbernagel

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 925 Bascom Mall, Madison, WI 53706, USA
Interests: conservation; geodesign; GIS; landscape ecology; scenario modeling
Dr. Janine Bolliger

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Brimensdorf, Switzerland
Interests: spatial ecology; conservation; land-change modeling; functional connectivity modeling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We enthusiastically invite you to contribute your latest work and novel ideas to this Special Issue. We intend to feature new directions and recent advances in geospatial approaches that further our understanding of landscape dynamics and inform landscape stewardship and management in an ever-changing world. We welcome topics ranging from connectivity to citizen engagement, landscape planning to landscape genetics, and remote sensing to data science.

Dr. Janet Silbernagel
Dr. Janine Bolliger
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Connectivity
  • Data science
  • Earth sensing technology
  • Geodesign
  • Landscape dynamics
  • Landscape genetics
  • Landscape scenarios
  • Spatial networks
  • Spatial narratives
  • Spatial statistics

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 1383 KiB  
Article
Application of Image Segmentation in Surface Water Extraction of Freshwater Lakes using Radar Data
by Sulong Zhou, Pengyu Kan, Janet Silbernagel and Jiefeng Jin
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(7), 424; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi9070424 - 30 Jun 2020
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 3135
Abstract
Freshwater lakes supply a large amount of inland water resources to sustain local and regional developments. However, some lake systems depend upon great fluctuation in water surface area. Poyang lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, undergoes dramatic seasonal and interannual variations. Timely [...] Read more.
Freshwater lakes supply a large amount of inland water resources to sustain local and regional developments. However, some lake systems depend upon great fluctuation in water surface area. Poyang lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, undergoes dramatic seasonal and interannual variations. Timely monitoring of Poyang lake surface provides essential information on variation of water occurrence for its ecosystem conservation. Application of histogram-based image segmentation in radar imagery has been widely used to detect water surface of lakes. Still, it is challenging to select the optimal threshold. Here, we analyze the advantages and disadvantages of a segmentation algorithm, the Otsu Method, from both mathematical and application perspectives. We implement the Otsu Method and provide reusable scripts to automatically select a threshold for surface water extraction using Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery on Google Earth Engine, a cloud-based platform that accelerates processing of Sentinel-1 data and auto-threshold computation. The optimal thresholds for each January from 2017 to 2020 are − 14.88 , − 16.93 , − 16.96 and − 16.87 respectively, and the overall accuracy achieves 92 % after rectification. Furthermore, our study contributes to the update of temporal and spatial variation of Poyang lake, confirming that its surface water area fluctuated annually and tended to shrink both in the center and boundary of the lake on each January from 2017 to 2020. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geospatial Advances in Landscape Ecology)
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15 pages, 5420 KiB  
Article
Geospatial Assessment of Soil Erosion Intensity and Sediment Yield Using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) Model
by Ahsen Maqsoom, Bilal Aslam, Usman Hassan, Zaheer Abbas Kazmi, Mahmoud Sodangi, Rana Faisal Tufail and Danish Farooq
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(6), 356; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi9060356 - 27 May 2020
Cited by 57 | Viewed by 6233
Abstract
Land degradation caused by soil erosion is considered among the most severe problems of the 21stcentury. It poses serious threats to soil fertility, food availability, human health, and the world ecosystem. The purpose of the study is to make a quantitative mapping of [...] Read more.
Land degradation caused by soil erosion is considered among the most severe problems of the 21stcentury. It poses serious threats to soil fertility, food availability, human health, and the world ecosystem. The purpose of the study is to make a quantitative mapping of soil loss in the Chitral district, Pakistan. For the estimation of soil loss in the study area, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model was used in combination with Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS). Topographical features of the study area show that the area is more vulnerable to soil loss, having the highest average annual soil loss of 78 ton/ha/year. Maps generated in the study show that the area has the highest sediment yield of 258 tons/ha/year and higher average annual soil loss of 450 tons/ha/year. The very high severity class represents 8%, 16% under high, 21% under moderate, 12% under low, and 13% under very low soil loss in the Chitral district. The above study is helpful to researchers and planners for better planning to control the loss of soil in the high severity zones. Plantation of trees and structures should be built like check dams, which effectively control the soil erosion process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geospatial Advances in Landscape Ecology)
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14 pages, 6305 KiB  
Article
Visualizing When, Where, and How Fires Happen in U.S. Parks and Protected Areas
by Nicole C. Inglis and Jelena Vukomanovic
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(5), 333; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi9050333 - 20 May 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2990
Abstract
Fire management in protected areas faces mounting obstacles as climate change alters disturbance regimes, resources are diverted to fighting wildfires, and more people live along the boundaries of parks. Evidence-based prescribed fire management and improved communication with stakeholders is vital to reducing fire [...] Read more.
Fire management in protected areas faces mounting obstacles as climate change alters disturbance regimes, resources are diverted to fighting wildfires, and more people live along the boundaries of parks. Evidence-based prescribed fire management and improved communication with stakeholders is vital to reducing fire risk while maintaining public trust. Numerous national fire databases document when and where natural, prescribed, and human-caused fires have occurred on public lands in the United States. However, these databases are incongruous and non-standardized, making it difficult to visualize spatiotemporal patterns of fire and engage stakeholders in decision-making. We created interactive decision analytics (“VISTAFiRe”) that transform fire history data into clear visualizations of the spatial and temporal dimensions of fire and its management. We demonstrate the utility of our approach using Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park as examples of protected areas experiencing fire regime change between 1980 and 2017. Our open source visualizations may be applied to any data from the National Park Service Wildland Fire Events Geodatabase, with flexibility to communicate shifts in fire regimes over time, such as the type of ignition, duration and magnitude, and changes in seasonal occurrence. Application of the tool to Everglades and Big Cypress revealed that natural wildfires are occurring earlier in the wildfire season, while human-caused and prescribed wildfires are becoming less and more common, respectively. These new avenues of stakeholder communication are allowing the National Park Service to devise research plans to prepare for environmental change, guide resource allocation, and support decision-making in a clear and timely manner. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geospatial Advances in Landscape Ecology)
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16 pages, 3746 KiB  
Article
Assessing Equity in the Accessibility to Urban Green Spaces According to Different Functional Levels
by Edorta Iraegui, Gabriela Augusto and Pedro Cabral
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(5), 308; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi9050308 - 7 May 2020
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 5766
Abstract
Accessibility of urban residents to different services and amenities is a growing concern for policy makers. Urban green spaces (UGS) provide services and benefits that are particularly important for people having less mobility, such as children, the elderly or the poor. Practical experience [...] Read more.
Accessibility of urban residents to different services and amenities is a growing concern for policy makers. Urban green spaces (UGS) provide services and benefits that are particularly important for people having less mobility, such as children, the elderly or the poor. Practical experience has led to the classification of UGS in hierarchic systems reflecting the type and degree of benefits and services or functions they provide to users, which vary, primarily with their size. It is therefore necessary to ensure equity in the spatial distribution of different classes of UGS in the urban areas. In this work, we explore a methodology based in geographical information systems (GIS) to assess equity of access by different population groups to UGS according to its functional levels in the City of Barcelona, Spain, using a spatial clustering method. Results did not support the existence of overall inequalities in the access to UGS by the different groups of the population. However, indicators of spatial association revealed insufficiencies concerning accessibility to nearby UGS by seniors, children and the less wealthy in some parts of the city. This methodology may be used to inform urban planners dealing with the provision of UGS in an equitable manner to different socioeconomic groups of the resident population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geospatial Advances in Landscape Ecology)
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21 pages, 2777 KiB  
Article
A Method for Tree Detection Based on Similarity with Geometric Shapes of 3D Geospatial Data
by Mihai-Sorin Stupariu, Alin-Ionuț Pleșoianu, Ileana Pătru-Stupariu and Christine Fürst
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(5), 298; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi9050298 - 5 May 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2579
Abstract
This paper presents an approach to detecting patterns in a three-dimensional context, emphasizing the role played by the local geometry of the surface model. The core of the associated algorithm is represented by the cosine similarity computed to sub-matrices of regularly gridded digital [...] Read more.
This paper presents an approach to detecting patterns in a three-dimensional context, emphasizing the role played by the local geometry of the surface model. The core of the associated algorithm is represented by the cosine similarity computed to sub-matrices of regularly gridded digital surface/canopy models. We developed an accompanying software instrument compatible with a GIS environment which allows, as inputs, locations in the surface/canopy model based on field data, pre-defined geometric shapes, or their combination. We exemplified the approach for a study case dealing with the locations of scattered trees and shrubs previously identified in the field in two study sites. We found that the variation in the pairwise similarities between the trees is better explained by the computation of slopes. Furthermore, we considered a pre-defined shape, the Mexican Hat wavelet. Its geometry is controlled by a single number, for which we found ranges of best fit between the shapes and the actual trees. Finally, a suitable combination of parameters made it possible to determine the potential locations of scattered trees. The accuracy of detection was equal to 77.9% and 89.5% in the two study sites considered. Moreover, a visual check based on orthophotomaps confirmed the reliability of the outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geospatial Advances in Landscape Ecology)
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18 pages, 6873 KiB  
Article
A Multispecies Assessment to Identify the Functional Connectivity of Amphibians in a Human-Dominated Landscape
by Gregory Churko, Felix Kienast and Janine Bolliger
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(5), 287; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi9050287 - 28 Apr 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3215
Abstract
Preserving functional connectivity is a key goal of conservation management. However, the spatially confined conservation areas may not allow for dispersal and gene flow for the intended long-term persistence of populations in fragmented landscapes. We provide a regional multi-species assessment to quantify functional [...] Read more.
Preserving functional connectivity is a key goal of conservation management. However, the spatially confined conservation areas may not allow for dispersal and gene flow for the intended long-term persistence of populations in fragmented landscapes. We provide a regional multi-species assessment to quantify functional connectivity for five amphibian species in a human dominated landscape in the Swiss lowlands. A set of resistance maps were derived based on expert opinion and a sensitivity analysis was conducted to compare the effect of each resistance scenario on modelled connectivity. Deriving multi-species corridors is a robust way to identify movement hotspots that provide valuable baseline information to reinforce protective measures and green infrastructure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geospatial Advances in Landscape Ecology)
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Other

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17 pages, 933 KiB  
Perspective
Contribution of Connectivity Assessments to Green Infrastructure (GI)
by Janine Bolliger and Janet Silbernagel
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(4), 212; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi9040212 - 30 Mar 2020
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 4371
Abstract
A major goal of green infrastructure (GI) is to provide functional networks of habitats and ecosystems to maintain biodiversity long-term, while at the same time optimizing landscape and ecosystem functions and services to meet human needs. Traditionally, connectivity studies are informed by movement [...] Read more.
A major goal of green infrastructure (GI) is to provide functional networks of habitats and ecosystems to maintain biodiversity long-term, while at the same time optimizing landscape and ecosystem functions and services to meet human needs. Traditionally, connectivity studies are informed by movement ecology with species-specific attributes of the type and timing of movement (e.g., dispersal, foraging, mating) and movement distances, while spatial environmental data help delineate movement pathways across landscapes. To date, a range of methods and approaches are available that (a) are relevant across any organism and movement type independent of time and space scales, (b) are ready-to-use as standalone freeware or custom GIS implementation, and (c) produce appealing visual outputs that facilitate communication with land managers. However, to enhance the robustness of connectivity assessments and ensure that current trends in connectivity modeling contribute to GI with their full potential, common denominators on which to ground planning and design strategies are required. Likewise, comparable, repeatable connectivity assessments will be needed to put results of these scientific tools into practice for multi-functional GI plans and implementation. In this paper, we discuss use and limitations of state-of-the-art connectivity methods in contributing to GI implementation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geospatial Advances in Landscape Ecology)
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