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Characterizing the Human Imprint on Landscapes for Ecological Assessment

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A Guidebook for Integrated Ecological Assessments

Abstract

Human activity has altered natural landscape patterns and ecosystem functioning to varying degrees over the course of recorded history (Turner, 1990). Even the act of “preserving” a wilderness landscape results from a societal decision based on the value placed on that landscape. Such acts, as with many ecosystem uses, rarely happen by accident. Therefore, to assess ecosystem function and integrity, some understanding of the human dimension is necessary. It is useful to identify two critical aspects of the human dimension: factors that drive and can be used to predict human activities, and factors that characterize the impacts of these activities on ecosystems. By and large, the drivers of human activity are intangible (e.g., profit motive or concern for beauty) and the impacts result from tangible structures or activities on the landscape. At the same time, it is important to view human activity as a critical component of, and not separate from, ecosystem functioning. Ecosystem structure and function can influence society’s valuation of resources, driving human activity. For example, the presence of a pristine or high-quality landscape might drive development nearby, degrading the quality of this landscape.

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Authors
  1. Daniel G. Brown
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. USDA Forest Service, Northern Region, 200 East Broadway, Missoula, MT, 59807, USA

    Mark E. Jensen

  2. Institute of Alpine and Arctic Research, University of Colorado, 1560 30th Street, Boulder, CO, 80309-0450, USA

    Patrick S. Bourgeron

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© 2001 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Brown, D.G. (2001). Characterizing the Human Imprint on Landscapes for Ecological Assessment. In: Jensen, M.E., Bourgeron, P.S. (eds) A Guidebook for Integrated Ecological Assessments. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8620-7_28

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8620-7_28

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-98583-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-8620-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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