Abstract
A procedure to map the ecological structure of a territory is shown. The ecological structure is considered to be the result of the spatial coincidence of numerous physical and biological variables and the spatial connections between territorial sectors. The spatial correspondence patterns of such variables and sectors are detected by multivariate ordination analyses and were mapped using trend surface analysis (TSA). According to these premises an ecological map of the Madrid area was designed. This ecological map is objective: its characteristics do not depend on decisions by the specialists who compile it. The information it contains is based on the systematic analysis of the spatial relationships between numerous variables and territorial sectors. The use of TSA allows a synthesis of the way in which general gradients easily show the ecological spatial variability of the territory (low degree polynomials) or a superimposed—cellular or equipotential—structure appears on those gradients (high degree polynomials). The usefulness of the map is that it shows the ecological structure of the territory and the spatial linkages between the elements of this structure. The accuracy of the map showing these relationships may be ascertained by the fit to trend surfaces of increasing degree. The test was considered to be satisfactory as the results agreed with the prior ecological descriptions of the area. The procedure is thus deemed applicable to lesser known areas and can be very useful in planning studies.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
Allaire, G. M., M. Phipps, and F. Stoupy. 1973. Analyse écologique des structures d'ocupation du sol.L'Éspace Géographique, 3:185–197.
Ammer, V. (coord.). 1979. Ecological mapping of the community: Report and recommendations for a method. Munich University, Munich.
Berg, L. S. 1930. Landshafto-geograficheskiezony SSSR. Vviedieniie. Iz-vo LGU.
Bernáldez, F. G. (coord.). 1973. Cartografía temática ecológica de la subregión de Madrid. Informe para MOPU. Anthos, Madrid.
Bernáldez, F. G. 1981. Ecología y Paisaje. H. Blume, Madrid.
Bernáldez, F. G., P. Herera, C. Levassor, B. Peco, and A. Sastre. 1987. Las aguas subterráneas en el paisaje. Investigación y Ciencia (Scientific American) 127:8–17.
Bolós, M. (dir.). 1992. Manual de Ciencia del Paisaje. Teoría, métodos y aplicaciones. Masson, Barcelona.
Brossard, T., and J. C. Wieber. 1979. Structure des paysages et géographic zonal.Cahiers de Géographie de Besancon 27:93–122.
Bunce, R. G. H., S. K. Morrel, and H. E. Steel. 1975. The application of multivariate analysis to regional survey.Journal of Environmental Management 3:151–165.
Bunce, R. G. H., C. J. Barr, and A. Whittaker. 1982. An integrated system of land classification. I.T.E. Merlewood Research Station, Cumbria.
Calvo, J. F., J. A. Palazón, M. A. Esteve, M. L. Suárez, A. Torres, M. R. Vidal-Abarca, and L. Ramirez Díaz. 1992. The use of multivariate analysis for the ecological characterization of landscape: The Mula river watershed. Southeast Spain.Journal of Environmental Management 34:297–308.
Cartan, M. 1975. Analyse quantitative d'indicateurs cartographiques: essai critique sur les relations vegetation-milieu en Sologne. C.N.R.S., Montpellier.
COPLACO. 1975. Plan especial de protección del medio físico de Madrid. Ministerio de la Vivienda, Madrid.
Chikishev, A. G. 1973. Landscape indicators. Constultants Bureau, New York.
Christian, C. S. and G. A. Stewart. 1968. Methodology of integrated surveys.In UNESCO: Aerial surveys and integrated studies.UNESCO Natural Resources Research VI:233–280.
Demangeot, J. 1989. Los medios “naturales” del globo. Masson, Barcelona.
De Pablo, C. L., and F. D. Pineda. 1985. Análisis del territorio para su cartografía ecológica. Ensayo preliminar en la provincia de Madrid.Anales de Geografía de la Universidad Complutense 5:235–260.
De Pablo, C. L., A. Gomez Sal, and F. D. Pineda. 1987. Elaboration automatique d'une cartographie écologique et son évaluation avec des paramètres de la théorie de l'information.L'Espace Géographique 2:115–128.
De Pablo, C. L., P. Martín de Agar, A. Gomez Sal, and F. D. Pineda. 1988. Descriptive capacity and indicative value of territorial variables in ecological cartography.Landscape Ecology 1(4):203–211.
Forman, R. T. T. 1989. The Beginnings of Landscape Ecology in America.In I. S. Zonneveld, and R. T. T. Forman (eds.), Changing landscapes: An ecological perspective. Springer-Verlag, New York.
Forman, R. T. T. and M. Godron 1986. Landscape ecology. Wiley & Sons, New York.
Frondorf, A. F., M. M. McCarthy, and W. O. Rasmussen. 1978. Data-intensive spatial sampling and multiple hierarchical clustering: methodological approaches toward cost/time efficiency in natural resources assessment.Landscape Planning 5:1–25.
Gallopín, G. 1982. Una metodologí a para la regionalización ambiental. I. Bases metodológicas.Ecología Argentina 7:161–176.
Gosz, J. R., and P. J. H. Sharpe. 1989. Broad-scale concepts for interactions of climate, topography and biota at biome transitions. Landscape Ecology 3(2–4):229–243.
Gittins, R. 1968. Trend surface analysis of ecological data.Journal of Ecology 56:845–869.
Hicar, A., C. L. De Pablo, P. Martín de Agar, and F. D. Pineda. 1988. Indicadores vegetales en cartografía ecológica I: Tendencias de variación a lo largo de un gradiente.Studia Oecologica V:171–190.
Hicar, A., C. L. De Pablo, P. Martín de Agar, and F. D. Pineda. 1989. Indicadores vegetales en cartografía ecológica II: Interés cartográfico de la variabilidad cenológica.Studia Oecológica VI:143–163.
Hill, M. O. 1979. DECORANA, a FORTRAN program for detrended correspondence analysis and reciprocal alteraging. Ecology and Systematics. Cornell University, New York.
Hill, M. O., and H. G. Gauch, Jr. 1980. Detrended correspondence analysis: An improved ordination technique.Vegetatio 42:42–58.
Hutchinson, G. E. 1957a. Concluding Remarks.Cold Spring Harbor Symposium on Quantitative Biology 22:415–427.
Hutchinson, G. E. 1957b. The ecological theater and the evolutionary play. Yale University Press, New Haven.
Legendre, P., and M. J. Fortin. 1989. Spatial pattern and ecological analysis.Vegetatio 80:107–138.
Llorca, A., and M. Ruíz 1986. Factores físicos que rigen la estructura de usos de un territorio: el caso de Madrid.Ciudad y Territorio 67:65–73.
McHarg, I. 1969. Design with nature. Doubleday Natural History Press, New York.
Margalef, R. 1968. Perspectives in ecological theory. University Chicago Press, Chicago.
Margalef, R. 1974. Ecología. Omega, Barcelona.
Mather, P. M. 1979. Computational methods of multivariate analysis in physical geography. John Wiley & Sons, New York.
Moskalenko, N. G. 1973. Microphytocenoses of some landscapes of northern Siberia and their indicator significance.In A. G. Chikishev (ed.), Landscape indicators. Consultants Bureau, New York.
Naveh, Z. 1982. Landscape ecology as an emerging branch of human ecosystem science.Advances in Ecological Research 12:189–237.
Pedroli, G. B. M. 1984. Data ordination in ecological land survey. IGU-Congress, Paris.
Pineda, F. D., and F. G. Bernáldez. 1975. Experiencia obtenida con modelos de regresión múltiple para la descripción del habitat de matorrales.Anales del Instituto Botánico J. Cavanilles XXXII(II):1333–1349.
Pineda, F. D., and B. Peco. 1988. Pastizales adehesados del Monte de El Pardo.Mundo Científico (La Recherche), 79(8):387–395.
Polynov, F. 1956. Izbr. trudy. Iz-vo AN. SSSR. Moskva.
Ramos, A. (coord.). 1985. Mapa de las formaciones vegetales y usos actuales del suelo de Madrid. Comunidad de Madrid, Consejería de Agricultura y Ganadería, Madrid.
Rivas-Martinez, S. 1982. Mapa de las series de vegetación de Madrid. Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid.
Schreiber, K. F. 1989. The history of landscape ecology in Europe.In I. S. Zonneveld, and R. T. T. Forman (eds.), Changing landscapes: An ecological perspective. Springer-Verlag, New York.
Shevchenko, L. A. 1973. The possible use of landscape indicators for evaluating transportation through swamps.In A. G. Chikishev (ed.), Landscape indicators. Consultants Bureau, New York.
Sobolev, L. M. 1979. Methods for ecological-typological investigation of lands. Ilim, Frunze.
Sochava, V. B. 1963. Opriedielieniie niekotorykh ponyatii i terminov fizicheskoi gheografii. Doklady In-ta gheografii Sibiri i Dal'niego Vostoka. Vyp. 3.
Solntsiev, V. N. 1974. O niekotoryk fundamentalnykh svoistakh gheosistemnoi struktury. Methody kompleksnykh issledovaniii gheosistem. Akademiya Nauk SSSR, Irkust.
Stoking, M., and N. Abel. 1981. Ecological and environmental indicators for the rapid appraisal of natural resources.Agricultural Administration 8:473–484.
Troll, K. 1971. Landscape ecology (geo-ecology) and biocenology. A terminology study,Geoforum 8:43–46.
Turner, M. G., V. H. Dale, and R. H. Gardner. 1989. Predicting across scales: Theory development and testing.Landscape Ecology 3:245–252.
Turner, S. J., R. V. O'Neill, W. Conley, M. R. Conley, and H. C. Humphries, 1991. Pattern and scale: Statistics for landscape ecology.In M. G. Turner, and R. H. Gardner (eds.), Quantitative methods in landscape ecology. Springer-Verlag, New York.
Unwin, D. 1981. Introductory spatial analysis. Methuen, London.
Urban, D. L., V. O'Neill and H. H. Shugart, Jr. 1987. Landscape ecology,BioScience 37(2):119–127.
Wartemberg, D. 1985. Multivariate spatial correlation: A method for exploratory geographical analysis.Geographical Analysis 17:262–283.
Whittaker, R. H. 1975. Communities and ecosystems. Macmillan, New York.
Whittaker, R. H. 1978. Ordination of Plant Communities. Junk, The Hague.
Wiens, J. A., and B. T. Milne, 1989. Scaling of ‘landscapes’ in landscape ecology, or landscape ecology from a bettle's perspective.Landscape Ecology 3(2):87–96.
Zonneveld, I. Z. 1983. Principles of bioindication.Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 3:207–217.
Zonneveld, I. Z. 1989. The land unit: A fundamental concept in landscape ecology and its applications.Landscape Ecology 3(2):67–86.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Martin de Agar, P., de Pablo, C.L. & Pineda, F.D. Mapping the ecological structure of a territory: a case study in madrid (central spain). Environmental Management 19, 345–357 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02471977
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02471977