Ecological Modelling 168 (2003) 215–216

Editorial

Landscape modelling and landscape analysis

Landscapes are very important levels-of-applicationfor ecological knowledge, methodology and tech-nique, because many problems of environmentalpolicy are discussed and decided at this scale. Forexample, a very significant set of decision makingand environmental planning activities are focusedon the landscape level. Within these planning proce-dures, systems analytical techniques and modellingmethods have started to play a more and more im-portant role, i.e. with respect to planning scenarios.These approaches can only be carried out on a quan-titative level if valid ecological models are appliedthat describe the risks which are interrelated withspecific decision and management measures. Fur-thermore, important prerequisites for the successfulapplication of ecological models on the landscapescale are high qualitative methods of regional clas-sification and ordination which can be adapted tothe specific political targets to transfer the modellingresults from singular points in space to areas andregions.

On a more fundamental side, ecosystems cannot beunderstood if we do not know the prevailing condi-tions in their neighbourhood and if we do not knowthe constraints that influence their behaviour. Many ofthese constraints are resulting from interactions on thelandscape level. Thus, landscape analysis is an impor-tant element of ecosystem ecology as well, describingthe hierarchical conditions which ecosystem processesare operating in.

In the following sequence of papers some aspectsfrom the field of landscape theory and modelling arepublished. Most of them have been presented during

the European Conference of the International Associa-tion of Landscape Ecology (IALE) in July 2001 at theUniversities of Stockholm (Sweden) and Tartu (Esto-nia). In these papers, both aspects, the scientific fun-damentals of landscape modelling and the applicationof the concepts are elucidated, reaching from theoret-ical considerations to practical applications: On a the-oretical level,Seppelt and Voinov describe optimiza-tion methodologies for landuse patterns. This paper isfollowed by two contributions concerning the problemof scale:Burnett and Blaschke introduce a five-stepmethodology of scale segmentation basing on the con-cept of “hierarchical patch dynamics”, whileStein-hardt and Volk discuss the suitability of models for wa-tershed modelling in a nested, hierarchical approach.With the next paper a small sequence of case studiesstarts, taking into account the spatial distribution ofmontane and subalpine forests(Hoersch), the abun-dance of hare in Western Europe(Lundström-Gilleronand Schlaepfer) and multivariate analyses of landscapechanges in Denmark(Kristensen). Finally, there aretwo case studies from Spain:Gomez-Sal et al. intro-duce a multidimensional modelling concept of land-scape assessment, andSchmitz et al. are broadeningthe scope by introducing socioeconomic factors intothe ecological landscape analysis. With these contribu-tions and the additional papers in this issue it should bepossible to demonstrate the broad scope of landscapemodelling. We hope that the linkages between theo-retical approaches and practical applications can beenhanced by this issue and that the necessity of intro-ducing socioeconomic features into ecological modelson the landscape scale will be supported.

0304-3800/$ – see front matter © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.doi:10.1016/S0304-3800(03)00137-6

216 Editorial / Ecological Modelling 168 (2003) 215–216

Acknowledgements

Finally, we would like to thank the authors for theirinputs, the referees for their critical help, and the pub-lishers for their support of this issue.

Felix Müller∗, Uta SteinhardtChristian Albrechts Universitaet zu Kiel

Okologie Zentrum der CAUOlshausenstrasse 40, Kiel 24098, Germany

∗ Corresponding authorE-mail address: felix@ecology.uni-kiel.de

(F. Müller)