Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: In the last couple of years there has been an increased interest in emphasising the spatial aspects of the media, metaphorically by painting pictures of ‘electronic landscapes’, dominated by ‘electronic empires’. The importance of the media for shaping our perceptions and use of space is naturally not new, but was already discussed by Marshall McLuhan in the early 1960s, in metaphors like the ‘geographical revolution’ and ‘the global village’. However, space cannot easily be understood apart from time, which seems obvious when seen against the societal changes (including those in the media systems) the last couple of decades have witnessed in Western as well as Eastern Europe.
This paper is an attempt at contributing to the discussion on the spatiality of the media, taking its start in the concept of ‘media landscape’ and relating it to spatial as well as temporal aspects of the media. The examples to this discussion is taken from an ongoing research project dealing with the changes in the media systems of Eastern Europe, and relating these to the changes occurring also in Western Europe.

Publication Type: Abstract
Abstract: The Salonga-Lukenie-Sankuru Landscape surrounds the largest tropical rainforest National Park in Africa, home to threatened mammals including forest elephants and endemic bonobos. The area also hosts a permanent, growing human population that depends on the forest for basic needs. The situation is at a critical point in which both animal and human populations need well-planned land management to ensure survival. The World Wildlife Fund has mapped potential species habitat from field data, as well as human impacts on the landscape with a focus on human access for bushmeat. Communities, their land needs and their access routes were mapped in order to estimate the human interaction with the forest. The overlap of suitable wildlife habitat in intact forest blocks and easy access are recommendations for anti-poaching patrols and managed hunting areas. Further analyses using MARXAN were performed to locate core protected areas, and buffer zones to support human extractive use for current and predicted population estimates to 2020. Finally, alternatives for hunting were mapped by locating potential agricultural zones in accessible, low habitat quality areas in order to reduce hunting pressure on local forests and provide an alternative, stable food source for local human populations. This targeted conservation planning will help local managers assign specific land uses throughout the landscape to provide for sustainable development amid persistent wildlife populations.

Publication Type: Abstract
Abstract: The division of land into progressively smaller parcels is a growing concern among planning and natural resource professionals in rural communities. Many people consider parcelization crucial early step in the transformation of rural landscapes from places that rely on natural resource extraction to areas that package and sell the landscape itself for real estate and development. This paper analyzes the comparative influence that specific landscape features have on rural parcelization in a subset of Wisconsin communities using spatial econometric techniques. We find that several landscape variables (size, proximity to water, frontage, and zoning) greatly influence the probability of parcel division. Our results also demonstrate the relative extent to which certain landscape amenities and land use policies influence the parcelization process. By analyzing the factors that influence parcelization in rural areas, we help planners more accurately target regulatory or incentive efforts towards parcels more likely to subdivide.

Publication Type: Poster
Abstract: As a precursor to land use fragmentation, the process of land title subdivision, or parcelization, provides a window of opportunity to planners seeking to preserve large blocks of land for both habitat and farmland preservation. Accurately targeting regulatory or incentive efforts towards parcels most likely to divide is an ongoing challenge. We developed a research approach that entailed mapping historic parcelization patterns and using past trends to better understand future scenarios. Historic land tenure was mapped using GIS for three rural communities in Southern Wisconsin back to 1950. We researched archival plat books and tax assessment rolls and then used a current digital tax parcel layer to work backwards through time and generate accurate historical parcel layers. Historic land use data was also generated by interpreting archived aerial photos and through public consultation. Examining the spatial pattern of parcel creation in each community and its relation to land use variables over time helped us assess the features that appeared to drive parcelization. We then created an amenity index and assigned values to each parcel. Our analysis of spatial autocorrelation showed that parcels with a high amenity value were clustered and undivided parcels in the amenity zones were identified as prime candidates for targeting subdivision policy. Our results demonstrate the extent to which amenities influence the parcelization process and provide a useful tool for communities looking to better understand factors that drive parcelization.

Publication Type: Abstract
Abstract: Agriculture can receive important ecosystem services from natural areas; such services could be incentives for restoring and conserving natural habitat. However, little is understood regarding the positive services or negative impacts that agricultural production receives from natural areas. Birds are mobile links between natural and agricultural areas and can have both positive indirect effects and direct negative effects on crops. In this presentation, I review how area of natural habitat can affect the distribution and behavior of birds, and therefore their role as natural enemies and pests in agriculture. In 2006 and 2007, I conducted bird surveys and foraging observations on 23 different 8 ha walnut farm plots. I analyzed how abundance, diversity, and foraging behavior of birds varied in terms of proportional area of riparian habitat around the farms. I found that pest bird flock presence and density decreased with increasing proportional area of riparian habitat. Densities of insectivorous riparian birds increased significantly with proportional area of riparian habitat. Successful foraging of insectivorous riparian birds also increased significantly with increasing proportional area of riparian habitat. Research on agricultural ecosystem services within a landscape context has focused on pollination services and arthropod natural enemies. My research demonstrates that landscape context can also affect density, diversity, and behavior of avian insectivores on farms.