Animals, plants, water, wind, materials and people flow at different rates, according to spatial patterns common to almost all landscapes and regions. This up-to-date synthesis explores the ecology of heterogeneous land areas, where natural processes and human activities spatially interact, to produce an ever changing mosaic. The subject has great relevance to today's society, and Land Mosaics reflects the breadth of its importance; there are many ideas and applications for planning, conservation, design, management, sustainability and policy. Spatial solutions are provided for society's land-use objectives. An appealing book, with a highly-readable text on this major emerging field. Students and professionals alike will be drawn by the attractive and informative illustrations, the conceptual synthesis, the wide international perspective and the range of topics and research covered.
PART I. LANDSCAPES AND REGIONS:
1. Foundations
PART II. PATCHES:
2. Patch size and number
3. Boundaries and edges
4. Patch shape
Part III. CORRIDORS:
5. Corridor attributes, roads and powerlines
6. Windbreaks, hedges and woodland corridors
7. Stream and river corridors
8. Networks and the matrix
Part IV. Mosaics and Flows:
9. Configurations and mosaics
10. Wind and water flows in mosaics
11. Species movements in mosaics
Part V. Changing Mosaics:
12. Land transformation and fragmentation
13. Land planning and management
14. Creating sustainable environments
"[...] well-produced, with plenty of plates and specially drawn diagrams to illustrate specific points in the text [...] covers a wide range of material drawn from a number of different disciplines [...] particularly valuable reading for those involved with planning, especially at the broad scale."
- Pam Berry, Progress in Physical Geography
"The book is full of ideas, principles and applications and is presented in a very readable and enjoyable way, with lively pictures and diagrams throughout."
- Elizabeth A. Gardiner, Environmental Education and Information
"[...] offers a 'state of the art' discussion of the ecological theory."
- Tree
"[...] a welcome addition to the therapeutic understanding of two of society's major contemporary problems."
- Ivor Felstein, Doctor
"[...] a good introduction as well as a scientific review of the new disciplines of landscape ecology [...] an appealing and highly readable text on this major emerging field. I recommend it for both the experienced researcher and the student who is being exposed for the first time to concepts related to landscape ecology."
- Dazhong Wen, Journal of Environmental Quality
"Its sheer scope is bound to make it a classic text."
- TEG News