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1 - Perspectives and prospects of landscape ecology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 January 2010

Richard Hobbs
Affiliation:
Professor of Environmental Science, Murdoch University, Western Australia
Jianguo Wu
Affiliation:
Professor of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
Jianguo Wu
Affiliation:
Arizona State University
Richard J. Hobbs
Affiliation:
Murdoch University, Western Australia
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Summary

Introduction

Landscape ecology has rapidly established itself as an interdisciplinary research field worldwide in the past few decades. However, diversification in perspectives and approaches has apparently caused some concerns with the “identity” of the field in recent years. For example, Wiens (1999) stated that “landscape ecology continues to suffer from something of an identity crisis,” while Moss (1999) warned that landscape ecology's “healthy, youthful development will be cut off before it matures if it does not recognize and develop its own distinctive core and focus.” As landscape ecologists, we feel that we should not be particularly worried about the identity or the fate of the field. Its identity is to some extent self-defining through the activities that people calling themselves landscape ecologists undertake, and its fate will be determined by its utility and its ability to provide techniques, approaches, and applications which help tackle the complex environmental management challenges facing humanity. However, we do think that, after two decades of rapid developments in both theory and practice, landscape ecology can benefit from a forward-looking introspection.

For example, several questions may be asked to address some of the concerns and challenges this field now faces. What is the identity of landscape ecology that it is losing or that has never been established? Given the multidisciplinary origins and goals of the field, is it possible for landscape ecology to have “its own distinctive core and focus?” If so, what would it be?

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Chapter
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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2007

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References

Hobbs, R. J. 1997. Future landscapes and the future of landscape ecology. Landscape and Urban Planning 37, 1–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moss, M. R. 1999. Fostering academic and institutional activities in landscape ecology. Pages 138–144 in Wiens, J. A. and Moss, M. R. (eds.) Issues in Landscape Ecology. Snowmass Village: International Association for Landscape Ecology.Google Scholar
Wiens, J. A. 1999. Toward a unified landscape ecology. Pages 148–51 in Wiens, J. A. and Moss, M. R. (eds.) Issues in Landscape Ecology. Snowmass Village: International Association for Landscape Ecology.Google Scholar
Wu, J. and Hobbs., R. 2002. Key issues and research priorities in landscape ecology: an idiosyncratic synthesis. Landscape Ecology 17, 355–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

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  • Perspectives and prospects of landscape ecology
    • By Richard Hobbs, Professor of Environmental Science, Murdoch University, Western Australia, Jianguo Wu, Professor of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
  • Edited by Jianguo Wu, Arizona State University, Richard J. Hobbs, Murdoch University, Western Australia
  • Book: Key Topics in Landscape Ecology
  • Online publication: 12 January 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511618581.002
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  • Perspectives and prospects of landscape ecology
    • By Richard Hobbs, Professor of Environmental Science, Murdoch University, Western Australia, Jianguo Wu, Professor of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
  • Edited by Jianguo Wu, Arizona State University, Richard J. Hobbs, Murdoch University, Western Australia
  • Book: Key Topics in Landscape Ecology
  • Online publication: 12 January 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511618581.002
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Perspectives and prospects of landscape ecology
    • By Richard Hobbs, Professor of Environmental Science, Murdoch University, Western Australia, Jianguo Wu, Professor of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
  • Edited by Jianguo Wu, Arizona State University, Richard J. Hobbs, Murdoch University, Western Australia
  • Book: Key Topics in Landscape Ecology
  • Online publication: 12 January 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511618581.002
Available formats
×