One of the cornerstones of Landscape Ecology is consideration of how ecological processes occur in space and time. Fundamental to understanding the importance of space and time is a consideration of scale. Many ecologists grapple with what is the appropriate resolution or scale to study a system? Will a study at the 1-meter scale give the same answer to a question as a study at the 10 meter or 100 meter scale? Will observations taken every hour lead to the same conclusions as observations made every week, or month? More importantly, which is the correct scale to measure system response? These are the questions and challenges that face ecologists in virtually every aspect of ecological study whether the process include observation, experiment and or modeling.

Students in the Rutgers University Landscape Ecology class took on the challenge of providing a careful consideration of scale can be incorporated in a number of avenues of ecology study. Methodological and technological approaches including Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing and fractals and temporal consideration lead off the exploration. These are followed by more specific arenas of ecological studies including restoration, urban ecology, avian studies conservation and herbivory. More focused topics including endangered species, hemlock decline and marine conservation round out the project.

GIS, Scale, and Landscape Ecology - Jonathan Luk

Scale: the Common Concern of Remote Sensing and Landscape Ecology – Kenneth Fung

Patterns within patterns: fractals and landscape ecology - Joshua Holofsky

Considering Time: The Importance of Temporal Scaling to Landscape Ecology - Jenni Momsen

Restoration and Importance of Scale – Polly Hicks

The Concept of Scale in Landscape Ecology Studies of Urban Sprawl - Heather Bowman Cutway

The Effect of Spatial Scale on Avian Studies and Management – Alison Siegel

The Importance of Scale to Biological Conservation - Jennifer Mokos

The Importance of Scale for Endangered Species – Christine Leung

Scale in Herbivory – E. Fleur Nicklen

The notion of scale and the effects of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae) infestation on Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) forest ecosystems: Is there a future for our beloved Hemlock? - Carl Figueiredo

Why are considerations of spatial scale and nursery habitats as nested structures necessary for the conservation of marine fishes and invertebrates? - John Manderson

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