Spatial habitat modelling
GIS can be used to investigate spatial
arrangements of habitats, interactions and relationships between
similar habitats.
Using spatial and temporal
information can provide a clearer picture of patterns and processes in
the landscape and give a better understanding of the processes that
generate and determine patterns in the landscape. Nix (1993)
described GIS as not just a tool but 'a new way of thinking about
landscapes'.
To gain more insight into how useful GIS can
be in environmental and landscape studies, two readings have been
provided which illustrate the flexible approach of this process.
 |
Reading 2.4 Goodchild, Integrating GIS and remote sensing for vegetation analysis and modelling: methodological issues
|
|
|
Reading 2.15 Aspinall, R. and Pearson, D. (2000).
Integrated geographical assessment of environmental condition in water
catchments: Linking landscape ecology, environmental modelling and
GIS. Journal of Environmental
Management. 59 |
|
Reading 2.16
Manton, M. G., Angelstam, P. and Mikusinski, G. (2005). Modelling
habitat suitability for deciduous forest focal species – a sensitivity
analysis using different satellite land cover data. Landscape Ecology. 20(7). |
 |
Specific GIS uses
|
 |
||||||||||||
|
Use the two readings to identify how GIS was used in
each study and its specific impact in an environmental context. Use the table in your e-journal
to record the results.
|
||||||||||||||
