Hopper (2009) and Mucina and Wardell-Johnson (2011) introduced and
discussed the concept of old and young landscapes. Old landscapes are characterized by relatively stable and long-lasting climate, no glaciation during the Pleistocene, and tectonically inactive surfaces with infertile soils dominating. In contrast,
young landscapes are those that originated from volcanic eruptions, rapid tectonic
events, or that were transformed by glacial regimes during the Pleistocene. Many
young landscapes have high erosion and sedimentation rates, steep slopes, and
young and fertile soils.
Such a concept might be used as a basis for an indicator system or tool
incorporating geological and climate stability, and other aspects such as fire
frequency, which indicate constancy, change and the risk of an environmental
disaster at local scales.
Hobohm and Müller-Benedict (2018) studied the relationship between endemism
and the physical environment of islands. They found that endemism on islands was
richest under more or less ecologically stable conditions in combination with high
environmental heterogeneity in space. As indicators for continuity in time they used
two simple systems, one for landscape and the other for climate continuity over time,
each with five levels of intensity.
However, other factors such as human influences, changes in land use, application of pesticides and fertilizers, the presence of pathogens or invasive species, and
unfortunate casual combinations of ecological conditions, can result in a disaster.
The magnitude of changing environmental conditions via human influence should
also be represented by an operational indicator system.
3 The Meaning of Changing Conditions for Landscapes,
Ecosystems and Biodiversity
Figure 1 shows different examples of constancy and change over time. Constancy is
a condition without any change. An example for environmental constancy (a)—at
least for extended time periods—is the concentration of atmospheric nitrogen (N 2 )
and certain inert gases. Examples for a sine curve (b) are the regular periodicity of
daylight and darkness during the night or annual seasonality of temperatures or
precipitation rates. These may be considered regularity or periodicity. However, for
distinguishing regularity/periodicity and irregularity, both terms have to be quantified with respect to amplitude or steepness of the slope.
The graphs of (c) and (d) show two different types of—at least in the end—
downwards sloping curves. The decreasing amount of a resource caused by exploitation might be an example for both of them. (d) has a larger effect size and
irregularity than (c).
A severe disaster may kill all life in a region. A catastrophe or disaster can be
defined as an event with very negative consequences for populations and individuals
(reduced fitness/reproductivity/death) or for biodiversity and species numbers.
Change: Risks and Predictability
185
discussed the concept of old and young landscapes. Old landscapes are characterized by relatively stable and long-lasting climate, no glaciation during the Pleistocene, and tectonically inactive surfaces with infertile soils dominating. In contrast,
young landscapes are those that originated from volcanic eruptions, rapid tectonic
events, or that were transformed by glacial regimes during the Pleistocene. Many
young landscapes have high erosion and sedimentation rates, steep slopes, and
young and fertile soils.
Such a concept might be used as a basis for an indicator system or tool
incorporating geological and climate stability, and other aspects such as fire
frequency, which indicate constancy, change and the risk of an environmental
disaster at local scales.
Hobohm and Müller-Benedict (2018) studied the relationship between endemism
and the physical environment of islands. They found that endemism on islands was
richest under more or less ecologically stable conditions in combination with high
environmental heterogeneity in space. As indicators for continuity in time they used
two simple systems, one for landscape and the other for climate continuity over time,
each with five levels of intensity.
However, other factors such as human influences, changes in land use, application of pesticides and fertilizers, the presence of pathogens or invasive species, and
unfortunate casual combinations of ecological conditions, can result in a disaster.
The magnitude of changing environmental conditions via human influence should
also be represented by an operational indicator system.
3 The Meaning of Changing Conditions for Landscapes,
Ecosystems and Biodiversity
Figure 1 shows different examples of constancy and change over time. Constancy is
a condition without any change. An example for environmental constancy (a)—at
least for extended time periods—is the concentration of atmospheric nitrogen (N 2 )
and certain inert gases. Examples for a sine curve (b) are the regular periodicity of
daylight and darkness during the night or annual seasonality of temperatures or
precipitation rates. These may be considered regularity or periodicity. However, for
distinguishing regularity/periodicity and irregularity, both terms have to be quantified with respect to amplitude or steepness of the slope.
The graphs of (c) and (d) show two different types of—at least in the end—
downwards sloping curves. The decreasing amount of a resource caused by exploitation might be an example for both of them. (d) has a larger effect size and
irregularity than (c).
A severe disaster may kill all life in a region. A catastrophe or disaster can be
defined as an event with very negative consequences for populations and individuals
(reduced fitness/reproductivity/death) or for biodiversity and species numbers.
Change: Risks and Predictability
185