Spatial processes causing change
Spatial
attributes of spatial processes
Processes associated with
land clearance
Fragmentation
Variegation
There are five main processes
involved in bringing about land transformation. These are:
- perforation
- the process of making 'holes' in a habitat.
This is the most common beginning to land transformation
- dissection - the carving up
of subdividing an area using equal lines
- fragmentation
- the breaking up of habitat into smaller land parcels. The pieces are
widely and unevenly spaced
- shrinkage - the decrease of
objects or patches in size
- attrition
- the disappearance of objects or patches
and corridors.
This is common in changing landscapes
where particularly small patches disappear
These processes overlap through land transformation.
They can start with perforation or dissection and end up with attrition
(Forman,
1995).
Fragmentation is one of the major threats to world biodiversity
today but it is important to remember that this is only one pattern of
land transformation responsible for changing landscape structure (Yates
et al., 1994), and fragmentation can be just one phase in transforming
land.
The other spatial processes described in this
topic are also ecologically significant in bringing about changes to the
landscape and it is important to consider these too, although most concentration
in landscape ecological research has been on the causes and effects of
fragmentation.
