SCALEFORES
Land is a limited resource that must fulfil multiple functions. The big question is, how can we meet growing human demand for resources and ensure human well-being, without impairing biodiversity and ecosystem functions?
Such questions necessitate a landscape ecological approach, on the principle that ecosystem composition, structure and function partially depend on the spatial (and temporal) context of the ecosystem (i.e., its landscape context).
In our research we adopt a landscape ecological approach to study a wide range of ecosystem services. We do empirical analyses of existing biophysical and socioeconomic datasets across broad geographic regions, in addition to spatial simulation modelling, to understand how landscape context affects ecosystem service provision at multiple scales.
The understanding gained from this research should be useful in understanding how to design, protect, and enhance landscapes relative to ecosystem services at multiple scales, and to inform tools for mapping ecosystem services.
SCALEFORES is a 5-year project (July 2016 to July 2021) that is funded by an ERC Starting Grant to Felix Eigenbrod
Publications
Identifying Agricultural Frontiers for Modeling Global Cropland Expansion
- The current (1992) global extent of cropland can be explained with existing data
- Recent expansion (1992–2015) of cropland is not well explained with existing data
- Deviations from the 1992 model of extent improve models of cropland expansion
Scale-dependency in drivers of outdoor recreation in England
