This book offers a comprehensive exposition of the mathematical methods that can be used to model landscape dynamics. It is systematically shown how mathematical models of progressively higher complexity can be derived from ordinary landscape maps and related data in ways that enable researchers to predict future landscape transformations and to assess landscape stability, sustainability and resilience.These models are deterministic (i.e. linear or non-linear systems of differential equations), stochastic (i.e. Markovian), or combined deterministic-and-stochastic (using stochastic differential equations), whereas topics and challenging problems related to complexity (spatial randomness, chaotic behaviors, riddled systems etc) are also examined in the book.

Contains the mathematical methods, deterministic and stochastic, needed for the analysis of Landscape Dynamics The first book on "Modelling Landscape Dynamics" The first theoretical framework addressing the complexity of Landscape Dynamics

Autorentext

Dr. Dr. Fivos Papadimitriou is at the University of Tübingen and he is the author of "Spatial Entropy and Landscape Analysis" (Springer VS) and "Spatial Complexity: Theory, Mathematical Methods and Applications" (Springer).

Inhalt
Dynamical Systems Modelling of Landscape Transformations.- Modelling Nonlinear and Complex Landscape Dynamics.- Landscape Stability, Instability and Civilization Collapse.- Markov Models of Landscape Dynamics.- Stochastic Landscape Simulation.- Stochastic Models of Complex Landscape Dynamics.- Modelling Landscape Sustainability.- Modelling Landscape Resilience.- Complexity, Non-Locality and Riddledness in Landscape Dynamics.