Table of contents ............................................... I
List of figures ................................................. V
List of tables ................................................ VII
List of abbreviations ........................................ VIII
Abstract ........................................................ X
Zusammenfassung ............................................... XII
1 Introduction ............................................... 1
1.1 Starting point of this work: biodiversity on landscape
level ...................................................... 1
1.2 Modern landscape ecology and its shortcomings .............. 2
1.3 Research objectives and key questions ...................... 4
1.3.1 Research objectives ................................. 4
1.3.2 Key questions ....................................... 5
2 Theoretical basis and background ........................... 6
2.1 Small biotopes and ecotones as components of landscape
pattern .................................................... 6
2.1.1 Landscape fragmentation as a result of
disappearing small biotopes ......................... 6
2.1.2 A "soft" boundary: ecotones as transitional area
between habitats .................................... 8
2.1.2.1 The model of patch boundary ................ 9
2.1.2.2 The ecotone concept ....................... 10
2.1.3 Ecological functions of small biotopes and
ecotones ........................................... 11
2.1.3.1 Ecological functions of small biotopes .... 12
2.1.3.2 Ecological functions of ecotones .......... 14
2.2 Landscape monitoring in Germany and China ................. 18
2.2.1 Landscape monitoring in Germany .................... 18
2.2.1.1 Current situation of biological
diversity in Germany ...................... 19
2.2.1.2 Data used for landscape monitoring ........ 20
2.2.1.3 Landscape indicators for biodiversity
conservation .............................. 21
2.2.2 Landscape monitoring in China ...................... 25
2.2.2.1 Current situation of biological
diversity in China ........................ 25
2.2.2.2 Data used for landscape monitoring ........ 26
2.2.2.3 Landscape indicators for biodiversity
conservation .............................. 27
2.3 Summary ................................................... 29
3 An enhanced approach for landscape structure analysis ..... 30
3.1 Data basis ................................................ 30
3.1.1 RapidEye images .................................... 31
3.1.2 High resolution elevation data ..................... 32
3.1.3 Other data ......................................... 34
3.2 Mapping landscape pattern by integration of an object-
and pixel-based classification approach ................... 35
3.2.1 Object-based image analysis (OBIA): land-use
classification based on multi-temporal RapidEye
images ............................................. 36
3.2.1.1 Spectral feature of Rapid Eye image ....... 36
3.2.1.1.1 Atmospheric correction for Rapid
Eye data ............................ 36
3.2.1.1.2 The use of Red Edge band in
vegetation classification ........... 37
3.2.1.2 Class hierarchy ........................... 41
3.2.1.3 The concept of image segmentation ......... 42
3.2.1.4 Segmentation and classification strategy .. 43
3.2.2 Pixel-based image analysis: detection of ecotones
and small biotopes using high resolution NDSM
data ............................................... 45
3.2.2.1 Ecotone model and definition of small
biotopes .................................. 45
3.2.2.2 Applied features and algorithms ........... 47
3.2.2.3 Detailed landscape structure detection
based on NDSM ............................. 49
3.2.2.3.1 Ecotone detection ................... 49
3.2.2.3.2 Small biotopes detection ............ 50
3.3 Landscape structures analysis ............................. 51
3.3.1 Metrics for describing landscape structure ......... 52
3.3.1.1 Landscape diversity ....................... 52
3.3.1.2 Landscape fragmentation ................... 53
3.3.1.3 Landscape contrast ........................ 55
3.3.2 Habitat connectivity analysis considering small
biotopes as stepping stones ........................ 58
3.3.2.1 Mapping ecological network ................ 58
3.3.2.2 Indicators for assessing ecological
networks .................................. 60
3.4 Summary ................................................... 62
4 Examples of use and results: application of the
proposed methodology in test sites of Germany and China ... 63
4.1 Study areas and data basis ................................ 63
4.2 Object-based image classification ......................... 65
4.2.1 Classification of main classes ..................... 65
4.2.1.1 Settlement and traffic extraction ......... 65
4.2.1.2 Assessing scale parameter for
segmentation .............................. 66
4.2.1.3 Classification process .................... 68
4.2.2 Further classification of detailed land-cover
classes ............................................ 70
4.2.2.1 Detailed classification within
settlements ............................... 70
4.2.2.2 Farmland plots delineation ................ 71
4.2.2.3 Detailed classification within forests .... 72
4.2.3 Accuracy assessment ................................ 74
4.2.3.1 Classification accuracy in test site
Rathen .................................... 74
4.2.3.2 Classification accuracy in test site
Jiawang ................................... 75
4.3 Fine-scale landscape structure detection .................. 76
4.3.1 Detection resu Its ................................. 76
4.3.2 Accuracy assessment ................................ 79
4.4 Landscape structure analysis .............................. 80
4.4.1 Comparing "2D" and "3D" metrics in practice ........ 81
4.4.1.1 Basic patch geometry ...................... 81
4.4.1.2 Diversity metrics ......................... 82
4.4.1.3 Effective mesh size (MESH) ................ 83
4.4.2 Landscape contrast analysis ........................ 84
4.4.3 Ecological network analysis using small biotopes
as stepping stones ................................. 87
4.4.3.1 Selection of buffer ranges ................ 87
4.4.3.2 Mapping ecological networks ............... 87
4.4.3.3 Analysis of connectivity for the test
sites ..................................... 90
4.5 Summary ................................................... 91
5 Discussion and evaluation ................................. 92
5.1 Evaluation of the proposed methods for image processing ... 92
5.1.1 Applying Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) on
RapidEye data ...................................... 92
5.1.2 Applying pixel-based object detection on high
resolution NDSM .................................... 92
5.2 Evaluation of the metrics for landscape structure
analysis .................................................. 99
5.2.1 The application of landscape diversity metrics ..... 99
5.2.2 The application of the metrics for describing
landscape fragmentation/connectivity .............. 100
5.2.2.1 Unification of landscape fragmentation
and connectivity ......................... 100
5.2.2.2 Functional roles of ecotones and small
biotopes in econets ...................... 101
5.2.2.3 General applicability in econets
analysis ................................. 102
5.2.3 The application of the metrics for describing
landscape contrast ................................ 104
5.3 Possible fields of application ........................... 105
6 Conclusion and outlook ................................... 108
7 References ............................................... 114
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