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Fundamental Ecological Characteristics of Landscape Boundaries

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Ecotones

Abstract

Identification of fundamental characteristics of landscape boundaries is difficult because of a lack of quantitative information on functional characteristics of boundaries. It is compounded by scale-dependent characteristics that often are not appreciated by the investigations. This review attempts to summarize general characteristics of boundaries and identify the research difficulties that must be addressed before fundamental characteristics can be identified. Research difficulties are grouped under the following topics: boundary detection, scale, scale-dependent measurement, and extrapolation and predictability. Because of the current interest in using boundaries to evaluate climate change, the characteristics of biome boundaries also are addressed and the Long Term Ecological Research Program at Sevilleta presented.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87131, USA

    James R. Gosz

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  1. James R. Gosz
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Public Affairs Office, Ecological Society of America, 9650 Rockville Pike, Suite 2503, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA

    Marjorie M. Holland

  2. Univeristy of New Mexico, Scholes Hall Rm. 108, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA

    Paul G. Risser

  3. Center for Streamside Studies, AR-10, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

    Robert J. Naiman

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© 1991 Routledge, Chapman & Hall, Inc.

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Gosz, J.R. (1991). Fundamental Ecological Characteristics of Landscape Boundaries. In: Holland, M.M., Risser, P.G., Naiman, R.J. (eds) Ecotones. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9686-8_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9686-8_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4615-9688-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-9686-8

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