Quantifying landscape structure for sustainable landscape planning (Case study: Aliabad, Gorgan and Kordkuy .

Abstract

The use of natural resources affects the function of landscape due to changes in the landscape structure. The landscape metrics as quantitatively landscape tools, therefore, have been applied in landscape planning because of their wide variety. The aim of this study is to quantification of landscape structure of Gorgan with landscape metrics.

In this study, landscape metrics such as largest patch index, mean nearest neighbor, number of patches and mean size patch which have been selected based on reviews, expert judgment, purpose of study and properties of Gorgan region, were used to analyzing the landscape structure for sustainable planning. The map of study area was divided in to 500 acres hexagons, and then landscape metrics were calculated in each hexagon by Patch Analysis software. Suitable areas for different type of land uses (protection, agriculture and extensive recreation) were determined within the hexagons, and then map of landscape metrics was prepared. Then each of the four metrics was classified in three classes according to the previous studies, regional characteristics, and expert judgment and metrics histograms. In these classes, class 1 for most suitable metrics. A final zoning map for different land uses was made by superposing four landscape metrics. 

Finally, this map was compared with MOLA map. As a general result, we can consider fragmentation of landscape structure and lack of clear border for land uses as the main causes of forest destruction. The conversion of forest landscapes to other land uses, as a sign of these changes, is easily identifiable. The residential area expansion and roads construction within the forest, cause the forest destruction, thus doing spatial planning within the suitable units, is essential for meeting social and economic needs with considering the landscape conservation principles. 

Understanding the relationship between landscape structure and function, as a metric application result, provides a suitable framework for the integration of ecological approaches in land-use planning. The landscape metrics are used to show the effects of different land uses on each other by analyzing the relationship between process and pattern at the regional level. Interpretation of effects of new land uses on current landscape structure and the trend of these changes can be analyzed by landscape metric map. So the effects these changes and their management can be seen in the macro scale.