A functional perspective on the analysis of land use and land cover data in ecology

Assessments of large-scale changes in habitat are a priority for management and conservation. Traditional approaches use land use and land cover data (LULC) that focus mostly on structural properties of landscapes, rather than functional properties related to specific ecological processes. Here, we contend that designing functional analyses of LULC can provide important and complementary information to traditional, structural analyses. We substantiate this perspective with an example of functional changes in habitat due to industrial anthropogenic footprints in Alberta's boreal forest, where there has been little overall forest loss (similar to 6% structural change), but high levels of functional change (up to 93% functional change) for species' habitat, biodiversity, and wildfire ignition. We discuss the methods needed to achieve functional LULC analyses, when they are most appropriate to add to structural assessments, and conclude by providing recommendations for analyses of LULC in a future of increasingly high-resolution, dynamic remote sensing data.

Automated summary

This study emphasizes that designing functional analyses of land use and land cover can provide important and complementary information to traditional, structural analyses. Using an example from Alberta's boreal forest, the research found that industrial anthropogenic footprints led to significant functional changes in habitat, despite little overall forest loss. The paper discusses the methods needed to achieve functional land use and land cover analyses, when they are most appropriate to add to structural assessments.