Analysis of landscape patterns in coastal wetlands of Galveston Bay, Texas (USA)

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dc.acquisition-srcDownloaded from-Web of Scienceen_US
dc.call-noen_US
dc.contract-noen_US
dc.contributor.authorLiu AJen_US
dc.contributor.authorCameron GNen_US
dc.contributor.otherLandscape Ecologyen_US
dc.date.accessioned2010-02-15T17:16:49Z
dc.date.available2010-02-15T17:16:49Z
dc.date.issued2001 Octen_US
dc.degreeen_US
dc.description581-595en_US
dc.description-otheren_US
dc.description.abstractHigh productivity and accessibility have made coastal wetlands attractive sites for human settlements. This study analyzed the patterns of wetland landscapes in Galveston Bay, Texas, USA. The first objective of the study was to describe the relationships between the fractal dimension of wetland boundaries and those factors which affect the wetland landscapes (e.g., land use, type of vegetation, size, location, and level of human disturbance). The second objective was to construct a historical database to contrast wetland areas which had experienced different levels of disturbance between 1956 and 1989. The fractal dimension, a measure of how much of the geographical space is filled by boundaries, was measured by the perimeter-area method. The fractal dimension of wetlands was significantly affected by land use, type of vegetation, size, and level of anthropogenic disturbance. In addition, increasing the size of buffers around roads did not significantly affect the fractal dimension of wetlands. Landscape indices, such as fractal dimension, dominance, and diversity, were used to characterize spatial heterogeneity in the historical database. Lake Stephenson, an area of low anthropogenic disturbance, experienced no changes in wetland composition and abundance over time. Anahuac, an area of medium disturbance, experienced changes in both wetland composition and abundance. Texas City, an area of high disturbance, experienced a change in wetland composition. These differences can be associated with the type and level of disturbance present; however, more evidence is needed to determine whether certain landscape patterns have stable, intrinsic properties which allow persistence in the face of disturbance. These results will be informative to resource managers determining how wetlands can be managed as natural resources and nature reservesen_US
dc.description.urihttp://gbic.tamug.edu/request.htmen_US
dc.historyen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1969.3/23405
dc.latitudeen_US
dc.locationen_US
dc.longitudeen_US
dc.notesTimes Cited: 0ArticleEnglishCameron, G. NUniv Cincinnati, Dept Biol Sci, Cincinnati, OH 45221 USACited References Count: 51503QGVAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDSDORDRECHTen_US
dc.placeen_US
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dc.relation.ispartofseries51051.00en_US
dc.relation.urien_US
dc.scaleen_US
dc.seriesen_US
dc.subjectfractal dimensionen_US
dc.subjectGALVESTON BAYen_US
dc.subjectGISen_US
dc.subjecthistorical databaseen_US
dc.subjecthuman disturbanceen_US
dc.subjectlandscape ecologyen_US
dc.subjectspatial patternsen_US
dc.subjectwetlandsen_US
dc.subjectRIPARIAN FORESTen_US
dc.subjectSALT-MARSHen_US
dc.subjectFRACTALSen_US
dc.subjecthabitaten_US
dc.subjectEDGEen_US
dc.titleAnalysis of landscape patterns in coastal wetlands of Galveston Bay, Texas (USA)en_US
dc.typeJournalen_US
dc.universityen_US
dc.vol-issue16(7)en_US

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