Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas

Remote Sensing and Landscape Analysis

Code

722041083

Academic unit

Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas

Department

Geografia e Planeamento Regional

Credits

10

Weekly hours

3 letivas + 1 tutorial

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

a) Know the concepts and perceptions of landscape, as well as the ecological perspective of landscape;
b) Know landscape structure: patches, corridors and matrix, as well as their general structure;
c) Understand landscape dynamics, in terms of natural processes, human action, function and change;
d) Apply algorithms of digital processing of remotely sensed images to obtain data on landscape and its units;
e) Analyse quantitatively landscape from geographical data obtained from of digital processing of remotely sensed images

Prerequisites

None.

Subject matter

1. Landscape – definitions and principles
1.1. Landscape perceptions
1.2. Landscape from an ecological perspective
1.3. Concepts and principles of landscape ecology
2. Landscape structure
2.1. Patches
2.2. Corridors
2.3. Matrix and networks
2.4. General structure
3. Landscape dynamics
3.1. Natural processes in landscape development
3.2. The role of human activity in landscape development
3.3 Fluxes between adjacent elements in the landscape
4. Quantitative methods in Landscape Ecology
4.1. Landscape composition
4.2. Landscape configuration
4.3. Landscape metrics
5. Remote sensing and Landscape Ecology
5.1. Land use – land cover, landscape units
5.2. Potential problems of using metrics com remotely sensed data
5.3. Metrics sensitivity to changes in spatial and temporal scale

Bibliography

KLOPATEK, J. M.; GARDNER, R. H. Eds., Landscape Ecological Analysis: Issues and Applications, Nova Iorque, Springer-Verlag, 1999, 400 p.
FRONH, R.C., Remote Sensing for Landscape Ecology, Nova Iorque, Lewis Publishers, 1998, 99 p.
FORMAN, R., Land Mosaics – The Ecology of Landscapes and Regions, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1995, 632 p. (excertos)
TURNER, M. G.; GARDNER, R .H., Quantitative Methods in Landscape Ecology, Ecological Studies Vol. 82, Berlin, Springer-Verlag, 1991, 536 p. (excertos)
FORMAN, R., GODRON, M. Landscape Ecology, Nova Iorque, John Wiley & Sons, 1986, 619 p. (excertos)

Teaching method

Teacher – student dialogue centred on the explanation and critical analysis of the concepts.
Development of a workshop practical work, using classified landscapes and further quantification of their structure.

Evaluation method

Development of an applied work of landscape quantification.

Courses