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Title: Simulation of landscape disturbances and the effect of climatic change

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to understand how changes in climate may affect the structure of landscapes that are subject to periodic disturbances. A general model useful for examining the linkage between climatic change and landscape change has been developed. The model makes use of synoptic climatic data, a geographical information system (GRASS), field data on the location of disturbance patches, simulation code written in the SIMSCRIPT language, and a set of landscape structure analysis programs written specifically for this research project. A simplified version of the model, lacking the climatic driver, has been used to analyze how changes in disturbance regimes (in this case settlement and fire suppression) affect landscape change. Landscape change lagged in its response to changes in the disturbance regime, but the lags differed depending upon the character of the change and the particular measure considered. The model will now be modified for use in a specific setting to analyze the effects of changes in climate on the structure of flood-disturbed patches along the Animas River, Colorado.

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Kansas Univ., Lawrence, KS (United States). Dept. of Geography
Sponsoring Org.:
DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
6617289
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 6617289; Legacy ID: DE93011615
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER/60883-3
ON: DE93011615
DOE Contract Number:
FG02-89ER60883
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; LANDSCAPING; MODIFICATIONS; COLORADO; PROGRESS REPORT; S CODES; COMPUTER CODES; DEVELOPED COUNTRIES; DOCUMENT TYPES; NORTH AMERICA; USA 540110*; 540210 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); 540250 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-)

Citation Formats

Baker, W.L. Simulation of landscape disturbances and the effect of climatic change. United States: N. p., 1993. Web. doi:10.2172/6617289.
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Baker, W.L. Simulation of landscape disturbances and the effect of climatic change. United States. doi:10.2172/6617289.
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Baker, W.L. Fri . "Simulation of landscape disturbances and the effect of climatic change". United States. doi:10.2172/6617289. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6617289.
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@article{osti_6617289,
title = {Simulation of landscape disturbances and the effect of climatic change},
author = {Baker, W.L.},
abstractNote = {The purpose of this research is to understand how changes in climate may affect the structure of landscapes that are subject to periodic disturbances. A general model useful for examining the linkage between climatic change and landscape change has been developed. The model makes use of synoptic climatic data, a geographical information system (GRASS), field data on the location of disturbance patches, simulation code written in the SIMSCRIPT language, and a set of landscape structure analysis programs written specifically for this research project. A simplified version of the model, lacking the climatic driver, has been used to analyze how changes in disturbance regimes (in this case settlement and fire suppression) affect landscape change. Landscape change lagged in its response to changes in the disturbance regime, but the lags differed depending upon the character of the change and the particular measure considered. The model will now be modified for use in a specific setting to analyze the effects of changes in climate on the structure of flood-disturbed patches along the Animas River, Colorado.},
doi = {10.2172/6617289},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 29 00:00:00 EST 1993},
month = {Fri Jan 29 00:00:00 EST 1993}
}
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Technical Report:
View Technical Report (3.66 MB)
DOI:  10.2172/6617289
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  • The purpose of this research is to understand how changes in climate may affect the structure of landscapes that are subject to periodic disturbances. A general model useful for examining the linkage between climatic change and landscape change has been developed. The model makes use of synoptic climatic data, a geographical information system (GRASS), field data on the location of disturbance patches, simulation code written in the SIMSCRIPT language, and a set of landscape structure analysis programs written specifically for this research project. A simplified version of the model, lacking the climatic driver, has been used to analyze how changesmore » in disturbance regimes (in this case settlement and fire suppression) affect landscape change. Landscape change lagged in its response to changes in the disturbance regime, but the lags differed depending upon the character of the change and the particular measure considered. The model will now be modified for use in a specific setting to analyze the effects of changes in climate on the structure of flood-disturbed patches along the Animas River, Colorado. 5 refs.« less

  • Altering the natural disturbance regime of a landscape produces changes in the structure of that landscape as the landscape adjusts to the new disturbance regime. A computer simulation model was designed to enable analyses of the longterm changes to be expected in landscapes as their disturbance regime changes. The model, DISPATCH, is the first dynamic spatial simulation model built around a geographical information system (GIS). The model also includes a new set of programs, the r.le programs, that is the first set of programs designed for calculating landscape structure measures within a GIS. The DISPATCH model was used, to analyzemore » the effects of human alterations of disturbance regimes and global change on landscape structure. Landscapes do not adjust quickly to these alterations based on available data. Landscapes subjected to warming or to longterm fire suppression experience a decline in patch richness, Shannon diversity, the amount of edge and contrast, but an increase in distance between patches, angular second moment (texture measure) and patch size. In contrast, landscapes subjected to cooling, the short-term effects of fire suppression, fragmentation, or traditional prescribed burning tend to respond with increasing richness, Shannon diversity, edge, and contrast, but declining distance, angular second moment, and size. The pattern of response is different at different scales, with important implications for species.« less

  • This first progress report covers the seven month period from July 1989 through February 1990, during which the primary achievements have been in developing the conceptual framework for the model and in writing code. This project is the first to attempt to directly model the effects of changing atmospheric conditions, on the decadal and century scale, on landscapes whose structure is influenced by atmospherically-controlled natural disturbances. The model has a landscape ecological emphasis, meaning that the primary concern is with the patchy structure present in landscapes on the kilometers scale. A central feature of this model, in addition to themore » tie to atmospheric conditions, is that it contains an analytical tool, the program STRUCT, for monitoring a variety of quantitative changes in landscape structure at several scales as the model runs. 36 refs., 1 fig.« less

  • The purpose of this research is to understand how changes in climate may affect the structure of landscapes that are subject to periodic disturbances. A general model useful for examining the linkage between climatic change and landscape change has been developed. The model makes use of synoptic climatic data, a geographical information system (GRASS), field data on the location of disturbance patches, simulation code written in the SIMSCRIPT language, and a set of landscape structure analysis programs written specifically for this research project. A simplified version of the model, lacking the climatic driver, has been used to analyze how changesmore » in disturbance regimes (in this case settlement and fire suppression) affect landscape change. Landscape change lagged in its response to changes in the disturbance regime, but the lags differed depending upon the character of the change and the particular measure considered. The model will now be modified for use in a specific setting to analyze the effects of changes in climate on the structure of flood-disturbed patches along the Animas River, Colorado.« less

  • Altering the natural disturbance regime of a landscape produces changes in the structure of that landscape as the landscape adjusts to the new disturbance regime. A computer simulation model was designed to enable analyses of the longterm changes to be expected in landscapes as their disturbance regime changes. The model, DISPATCH, is the first dynamic spatial simulation model built around a geographical information system (GIS). The model also includes a new set of programs, the r.le programs, that is the first set of programs designed for calculating landscape structure measures within a GIS. The DISPATCH model was used, to analyzemore » the effects of human alterations of disturbance regimes and global change on landscape structure. Landscapes do not adjust quickly to these alterations based on available data. Landscapes subjected to warming or to longterm fire suppression experience a decline in patch richness, Shannon diversity, the amount of edge and contrast, but an increase in distance between patches, angular second moment (texture measure) and patch size. In contrast, landscapes subjected to cooling, the short-term effects of fire suppression, fragmentation, or traditional prescribed burning tend to respond with increasing richness, Shannon diversity, edge, and contrast, but declining distance, angular second moment, and size. The pattern of response is different at different scales, with important implications for species.« less