Change processes

Change processes

Physical, biological and disturbance factors are integrated in change processes.

Physical factors include environmental gradients such as temperature, elevation and moisture.

Biological factors include things like demographic processes. For example establishment, growth and mortality, dispersal and competition.

Disturbance can be both natural and human in origin. Disturbances can be described as:

'discrete events in time that disrupt ecosystem, community or population structure and changes resources, substrate or the physical environment' (White and Pickett, 1985)
an event of sufficient intensity to cause the formation of a different vegetation community (Swanson et al., 1992)
a regime. A disturbance regime includes the type of disturbance, the frequency and the magnitude of the disturbance.
a departure from the normal domain or state (White and Harrod, 1995)

	Comparing causes of landscape structure
Identify the specific factors which determine the formation of landscape structure in Kellerberrin and New England and note them under the headings in your e-journal.