Springer History of Landscape Ecology in the United States

This book describes the emergence of landscape ecology, its current status as a new integrative science, and how distinguished scholars in the field of landscape ecology view the future regarding new challenges and career opportunities. Over the past thirty years, landscape ecology has utilized development in technology and methodology (e.g., satellites, GIS, and systems technologists) to monitor large temporal-spatial scale events and phenomena. These events include changes in vegetative cover and composition due to both natural disturbance and human cause―changes that have academic, economic, political, and social manifestations. There is little doubt, due to the temporal-spatial scale of this integrative science, that scholars in fields of study ranging from anthropology to urban ecology will desire to compare their fields with landscape ecology during this intellectually and technologically fertile time. History of Landscape Ecology in the United States brings to light the vital role that landscape ecologists will play in the future as the human population continues to increase and fragment the natural environment. Landscape ecology is known as a synthesized intersection of disciplines; but new theories, concepts, and principles have emerged that form the foundation of a new transdiscipline. From the Back Cover This book analyzes the emergence of landscape ecology, its current status as a new integrative science, and how distinguished scholars in the field of landscape ecology view the future regarding new challenges and career opportunities. Over the past thirty years, landscape ecology has utilized development in technology and methodology (e.g., satellites, GIS, and systems technologists) to monitor large temporal-spatial scale events and phenomena. These events include changes in vegetative cover and composition due to both natural disturbance and human cause―changes that have academic, economic, political, and social manifestations. There is little doubt, due to the temporal-spatial scale of this integrative science, that scholars in fields of study ranging from anthropology to urban ecology will desire to compare their fields with landscape ecology during this intellectually and technologically fertile time. History of Landscape Ecology in the United States brings to light the vital role that landscape ecologists will play in the future as the human population continues to increase and fragment the natural environment. Landscape ecology is known as a synthesized intersection of disciplines; but new theories, concepts, and principles have emerged that form the foundation of a new transdiscipline. About the Author Gary W. Barrett holds the Eugene P. Odum Chair of Ecology in the Eugene P. Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia (UGA). He is coauthor of eight books; and has published over 190 articles in professional journals. Until 1994, he was Distinguished Professor of Ecology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. At Miami University he was recipient of the 1986 Sigma Xi Researcher of the Year Award. From 1994 through 1996 Barrett was the Director of the Institute of Ecology, UGA. He was Ecology Program Director with the National Science Foundation (1981–1983). Barrett is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1990). He served as President of the United States Regional Association of the International Association for Landscape Ecology (USIALE) (1988–1990), Association for Ecosystem Research Centers (1995–1996), and American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) (1998). He received the 2000 AIBS Presidential Citation Award in recognition of leadership and contributions to the biological sciences, and the prestigious Distinguished Landscape Ecologist Award in 2001 from USIALE. Barrett was the recipient of the 2005 Excellence in Undergraduate Mentoring Award, UGA. Terry L. Barrett holds a M. A. in art and M. F. A. in painting from Mia