Landscape ecology is not a distinct discipline or simply a branch of ecology, but rather is the synthetic intersection of many related disciplines that focus on the spatial-temporal pattern of the landscape. Risser et al. , 1984 The emergence of landscape ecology as a discipline has catalyzed a shift in paradigms among ecologists, . . . resource managers and land-use planners. Having now seen the faces of spatial pattern and scale . . . we can never go back to the old ways of viewing things. Wiens, 1999 his book presents the perspective of three ecologists on the concepts and Tapplications of landscape ecology, a discipline that has shown expansive growth during the past two decades. Although landscape ecology is a multidis- plinary subject involving components as diverse as economics and sociology, the earth sciences and geography, remote sensing and computer applications, we - cus here on what ecologists need to know about landscapes. Landscape ecology served as the integrating theme of our collaborative research for nearly 15 years, including a 7-year period during which we worked together at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. We became acquainted in January 1986 at the first annual United States Landscape Ecology symposium held at the Univ- sity of Georgia and organized by Monica Turner and Frank Golley. Landscape ecology was, at that time, a new subject in the United States. The first U. S.

Landscape ecology has emerged during the past two decades as a new and exciting level of ecological study. In this text book this new field is given the first fully integrated treatment suitable for the student. Throughout, the theoretical developments, modeling approaches and results, and empirical data are discussed in a unified fashion. The book also emphasizes selected topics in which landscape ecology has made the most contributions to our understanding of ecological processes, as well as identifying areas where its contributions have been limited. Each chapter features questions for discussion and recommended reading.

to Landscape Ecology.- The Critical Concept of Scale.- to Models.- Causes of Landscape Pattern.- Quantifying Landscape Pattern.- Neutral Landscape Models.- Landscape Disturbance Dynamics.- Organisms and Landscape Pattern.- Ecosystem Processes in the Landscape.- Applied Landscape Ecology.- Conclusions and Future Directions.