1982). By knowing the geographic factors that
cause slides within a region, one can identify and
then either avoid hazardous landslide areas or
apply mitigation measures.
Likewise, certain terrestrial ecoregions have
desertification risk, as their prevailing climate is
arid, semi-arid, or dry subhumid, which represent
38 % of the terrestrial surface. Nunez et al.
(2010) developed a method to make possible
the inclusion of the desertification impact
derived from human activity (agriculture, industry, mining, etc.) in land-use studies.
12.2.10 Learn from Successful
Ecological Designs and Predict
Establishment of Invasive
Species
Ecoregion maps identify region-scale ecosystems
throughout the world. For example, temperate
continental ecoregions are always located in the
interior of continents and on the leeward, or eastern, sides; therefore, the northeastern U.S. is
ecologically similar to northern China, Korea,
and Japan (Fig. 1.4, p. 3). This makes it possible
to learn from successful ecological designs in
similar ecoregions as well as to predict what
new harmful organisms could successfully establish and spread if they were to arrive. It should be
noted that not all parts of similar ecoregions are
equally susceptible to the future expansion of
invasive species, especially in mountain
ecoregions that are broken into complex patterns
of disturbance and habitats (Parks et al. 2005).
On a related note, the ecoregion concept could
be useful for the safe importation of invertebrate
biological control agents (Cock et al. 2006).
Movement of insect species between countries
in the same ecoregion is clearly less risky than
moving species between disjointed similar
ecoregions.
12.2.11 Maintain and Restore
Biodiversity
Rather than occurring randomly, species
distributions are sorted in relation to environment
(Fig. 12.9). This means that similar environments
tend to support similar groups of plants and
animals in the absence of human disturbance
(cf. Rodriguez et al. 2006).
Ecoregional analysis capitalizes on this by
identifying climatic and landform factors likely
to influence the distribution of species. This analysis uses these factors to define a landscape classification that groups together sites that have
similar environmental character. Such a classification can then be used to indicate sites likely to
have similar potential ecosystem character with
similar groups of species and similar biological
interactions and processes.
One of the major advantages of this approach,
as opposed to directly mapping land cover, for
example, is its ability to predict the potential
character of sites where natural ecosystems
have been profoundly modified (e.g., by land
clearance or fire) or replaced by introduced
plants and animals (e.g., pests and weeds).
Ecoregions have been ranked with respect to
expected changes in biodiversity for the year
2100 due to climate change (Sala et al. 2000).
Mediterranean climate and grassland ecosystems
likely will experience the greatest proportional
change in biodiversity. Northern temperate
ecosystems are estimated to experience the least
biodiversity change because major land-use
change has already occurred.
12.2.12 Facilitate Conservation
Planning
The scientific community has taken an interest in
the importance of scale. Recognizing the need to
move beyond traditional nature preserves to protect biodiversity, scientists have begun broadening their perspective. One of the most powerful
ideas to emerge for directing conservation efforts
is that of ecological regions, or ecoregions. With
similar climate, geology, and landforms,
ecoregions support distinctive grouping of plants
and animals. Transcending unnatural political
boundaries, these ecoregions provide powerful
conservation planning tools.
The concept of ecoregions has been adopted
by dozens of organizations in the United States
and around the world as a way of thinking about
120
12 Applications of Ecoregional Patterns
cause slides within a region, one can identify and
then either avoid hazardous landslide areas or
apply mitigation measures.
Likewise, certain terrestrial ecoregions have
desertification risk, as their prevailing climate is
arid, semi-arid, or dry subhumid, which represent
38 % of the terrestrial surface. Nunez et al.
(2010) developed a method to make possible
the inclusion of the desertification impact
derived from human activity (agriculture, industry, mining, etc.) in land-use studies.
12.2.10 Learn from Successful
Ecological Designs and Predict
Establishment of Invasive
Species
Ecoregion maps identify region-scale ecosystems
throughout the world. For example, temperate
continental ecoregions are always located in the
interior of continents and on the leeward, or eastern, sides; therefore, the northeastern U.S. is
ecologically similar to northern China, Korea,
and Japan (Fig. 1.4, p. 3). This makes it possible
to learn from successful ecological designs in
similar ecoregions as well as to predict what
new harmful organisms could successfully establish and spread if they were to arrive. It should be
noted that not all parts of similar ecoregions are
equally susceptible to the future expansion of
invasive species, especially in mountain
ecoregions that are broken into complex patterns
of disturbance and habitats (Parks et al. 2005).
On a related note, the ecoregion concept could
be useful for the safe importation of invertebrate
biological control agents (Cock et al. 2006).
Movement of insect species between countries
in the same ecoregion is clearly less risky than
moving species between disjointed similar
ecoregions.
12.2.11 Maintain and Restore
Biodiversity
Rather than occurring randomly, species
distributions are sorted in relation to environment
(Fig. 12.9). This means that similar environments
tend to support similar groups of plants and
animals in the absence of human disturbance
(cf. Rodriguez et al. 2006).
Ecoregional analysis capitalizes on this by
identifying climatic and landform factors likely
to influence the distribution of species. This analysis uses these factors to define a landscape classification that groups together sites that have
similar environmental character. Such a classification can then be used to indicate sites likely to
have similar potential ecosystem character with
similar groups of species and similar biological
interactions and processes.
One of the major advantages of this approach,
as opposed to directly mapping land cover, for
example, is its ability to predict the potential
character of sites where natural ecosystems
have been profoundly modified (e.g., by land
clearance or fire) or replaced by introduced
plants and animals (e.g., pests and weeds).
Ecoregions have been ranked with respect to
expected changes in biodiversity for the year
2100 due to climate change (Sala et al. 2000).
Mediterranean climate and grassland ecosystems
likely will experience the greatest proportional
change in biodiversity. Northern temperate
ecosystems are estimated to experience the least
biodiversity change because major land-use
change has already occurred.
12.2.12 Facilitate Conservation
Planning
The scientific community has taken an interest in
the importance of scale. Recognizing the need to
move beyond traditional nature preserves to protect biodiversity, scientists have begun broadening their perspective. One of the most powerful
ideas to emerge for directing conservation efforts
is that of ecological regions, or ecoregions. With
similar climate, geology, and landforms,
ecoregions support distinctive grouping of plants
and animals. Transcending unnatural political
boundaries, these ecoregions provide powerful
conservation planning tools.
The concept of ecoregions has been adopted
by dozens of organizations in the United States
and around the world as a way of thinking about
120
12 Applications of Ecoregional Patterns