Landscape Ecology and Its Potential Application to Planning

Landscape ecology is a relatively new science at the intersection of the social and biological sciences, based largely on theories from ecology and geography. Because of its emphasis on people and their environments, this emerging discipline has many possible planning applications. This review summarizes the characteristics and concepts of landscape ecology and the existing approaches of its application for planning. Even though the theories of landscape ecology and the concepts of landscape ecological planning are not yet well established, they show potential to change the traditional environmental planning approach toward a true synthesis of people and nature.