Managing landscapes at multiple scales for sustainability of ecosystem functions (Preface)
Abstract
The science of landscape ecology is a rapidly evolving academic field with an emphasis on studying large-scale spatial heterogeneity created by natural influences and human activities. These advances have important implications for managing and conserving natural resources. At a September 2008 IUFRO conference in Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China, we highlighted both the challenges and solutions to managing forested landscapes for a variety of values and benefits. In this special issue of Forest Ecology and Management, we present selected papers from the conference to examine a central issue in landscape-scale management: the need to consider sustainability in the context of multiple spatial and temporal scales.