Changes in landscape diversity, landscape connectivity and hydrogenic ecosystems state in the “West Polesie” Biosphere Reserve over the last half century
Project led by the University of Life Science, Lublin, Poland
Objectives:
- To evaluate changes in landscape diversity in the area of the West Polesie Biosphere Reserve (ca 140 000 ha) over a last half century
- To build a model of landscape connectivity changes
- To evaluate changes in lake and peatbog ecosystem states over a last half century
- To conduct a preliminary assessment of actual and historical landscape services potential
Research questions:
- How has the structure and functioning of the landscape in the West Polesie Biosphere Reserve changed in time and space?
- How may these changes influence landscape services potential?
Suggested range of the research:
- land use and landscape diversity changes 1952 – 2010 (possibly extending to 2012)
- changes in water conditions and water quality
- changes in surface and diversity of lake macrophyte communities
- changes in lakes and small water reservoir ichthyofauna: dominant, rare and invasive species
- big mammal refuges and corridors as an indicator of landscape ecological structure pattern and connectivity
- changes in landscape services evaluation.