Emerging Relationships Between Structure and Ecological Function in the Landscape

The concepts of landscape ecology are theoretically applicable to landscapes anywhere in the world. Much information has been generated relating sizes, shapes, and composition of patches and corridors in the landscape to their ecological function. Many patterns related to ecological processes are emerging that can be applied with increasing confidence in landscape planning and design. In this context, we developed a comprehensive approach that makes use of three-dimensional (3-D) models to describe visually the structural properties of landscape elements. This approach may be used by landscape architects so that the patterns they create also have an appropriate ecological function