We study the response of populations of digital organisms that adapt to a time-varying (periodic) fitness landscape of two oscillating peaks. We corroborate in general predictions from quasi-species theory in dynamic landscapes, such as adaptation to the average fitness landscape at small periods (high frequency) and quasistatic adaptation at large periods (low frequency). We also observe adapt...

The landscape pattern of Daqing City, China has undergone a significant change during the last two decades as a result of rapid urbanization. A quantitative analysis describing the spatial fragmentation caused by urban sprawl from satellite images was presented on three dates: 1979, 1990, and 2000. Five landscape indices with supplementary ecological meanings were chosen to facilitate our exami...

The semi-arid grasslands in Inner Mongolia (IM) are under increasing stress owing to climate change and rapid socio-economic development in the recent past. We investigated changes in land cover/land use and landscape structure between 1992 and 2004 through the analysis of AVHRR and MODIS derived land cover data. The scale of analysis included the regional level (i.e. the whole of IM) as well a...

4 Humans are increasingly altering the Earth’s surface, and affecting processes that shape and 5 reshape landscapes. In many cases, humans are reacting to landscape-change processes that 6 represent natural hazards. Thus, the landscape is reacting to humans who are reacting to the 7 landscape. When the timescales for landscape change are comparable to those of human 8 dynamics, human and ‘natur...

Halgurd Sakran National Park (HSNP) is Iraq’s first designated national park, located in the Kurdistan Region, which has suffered multiple armed conflicts over the past decades. This study assesses how vegetation dynamics have affected the landscape structure and composition of the core zone of the park over the last 31 years. Spatio-temporal changes in land cover were mapped for three points i...

Landscape structure in a forest mosaic changes with spatial scale (i.e. spatial extent) and thresholds may occur where structure changes markedly. Forest management alters landscape structure and may affect the intensity and location of thresholds. Our purpose was to examine landscape structure at different scales to determine thresholds where landscape structure changes markedly in managed for...

Land use change has large effects on natural ecosystems, which is considered to be the main factor in eco-environment change. We analyzed the future characters of land use change by the CLUE-S model and explored landscape ecological risk responses to land use change by the landscape ecological risk index method. Using the Luanhe River Basin as a case study, we simulated future land use change f...

urban population is growing rapidly and also its requirements are growing fast. this problem needs further attention on sustainability urban landscape. citizen’s participation and gradual cultural change considered among the best methods for developing and conserving the urban landscape. the aim of this study was to assess the impact of extension and education classes of plant clinics on sustai...

urban growth and associated landscape transformation has been a major driver of local, regionaland global environmental change. the conversion of urban greenery to impervious landscapes has been identifiedas a key factor influencing the distinctive urban heat and associated consequences. due to the often highdemand for space in urban areas, creation and preservation of urban greenery as heat si...