The Landscape Ecology (NRC 621) Lab includes several projects corresponding to the major sections of the course. Each of these projects are briefly described below and include links to detailed descriptions of each assignment and downloads of all required software and data. All documents in pdf format require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.

This project is designed to introduce students to some of the techniques used to scale spatial point patterns, continuous surface patterns and categorical map patterns. Studends will gain practical experience in the calculation of both first-order (Clark and Evans Index of Dispersion) and second-order (Ripley's K-distribution) analysis of point patterns, spatial autocorrelation and semi-variance analysis of continuous data, as well as lacunarity analysis of categorical map patterns.

• Assigment (pdf) -- detailed project assignment
• Dataset (xls) -- spreadsheet containing all project data

This project is designed to introduce students to some of the challenges in defining the landscape in an ecologically relevant manner given real-world practical considerations (e.g., data limitations) and management objectives. Studends will evaluate alternative landscape definitions and discuss the challenges and implications of chosing among alternative definitions..

• Assigment (pdf) -- detailed project assignment
• Dataset (zip) -- zip file (CAUTION, 1.4 gb file) containing all project data

This project is designed to introduce students to the concept of neutral landscapes. Students will gain practical experience in the use of RULE, a software program for generating and analyzing neutral landscapes, and gain a practical understanding of how to use neutral landscapes to test hypotheses regarding landscape structure and connectivity.

• Assignment (pdf) -- detailed project assignment
• Dataset (zip) -- zip file (1 mb) containing all project data

Supplementary Resources:

• McGarigal, K., S. Cushman, and C. Regan. (submitted). Quantifying terrestrial habitat loss and fragmentation: a protocol. USDA Gen. Tech. Rep. Rocky Mountain Region.[click here for full text][click here for figures]

This project is designed to introduce students to some of the theoretical and practical aspects of landscape pattern analysis. Students will gain practical experience in the use and interpretation of FRAGSTATS, a software program for quantifying categorical map patterns using a wide variety of landscape metrics. In addition, students will develop their own landscape metric and apply it in the analysis of real landscapes, and gain a practical understanding of some of the limitations in conducting a landscape structure analysis.

• Assignment (pdf) -- detailed project assignment
• Dataset (zip) -- zip file containing all project data

This project is designed to introduce students to concept of dynamic landscapes. Students will gain a practical understanding of how to model alternative landscape dynamic scenarios using RMLands, a software program for simulating disturbance and succession processes in Rocky Mountain forest landscapes, and become familiar with the various equilibrium and nonequilibrium concepts of landscape dynamics and their implications for wildlife populations.

• Assignment (pdf) -- detailed project assignment
• Dataset (zip) -- 680 MB zip file containing all project data

This project is designed to introduce students to the concept of metapopulations in heterogeneous landscapes. Students will gain a practical understanding of how to use a spatially explicit metapopulation viability model written in R to analyze metapopulation dynamics and the effects of landscape patterns on those dynamics. Students will analyze data from a real local marbled salamander (Ambystoma oppacum) metapopulation.

• Assignment (pdf) -- detailed project assignment
• Dataset (zip) -- zip file containing all project data
• Slide Presentation -- Brief introduction to metapopulations and their applicability to pond-breeding amphibians, including this case study of the marbled salamander.