Journal Title
Title of Journal: Environmental Management
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Abbravation: Environmental Management
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Publisher
Springer-Verlag
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Authors: Dorothy Furberg Yifang Ban
Publish Date: 2012/10/06
Volume: 50, Issue: 6, Pages: 1068-1088
Abstract
This research investigates urban sprawl in the Greater Toronto Area GTA between 1985 and 2005 and the nature of the resulting landscape fragmentation particularly with regard to the Oak Ridges Moraine ORM an ecologically important area for the region Six scenes of Landsat TM imagery were acquired in summer of 1985 1995 and 2005 These images and their texture measures were classified into eight land cover classes with very satisfactory final overall accuracies 93–95 Analysis of the classifications indicated that urban areas grew by 20 between 1985 and 1995 and by 15 between 1995 and 2005 Landscape fragmentation due to spatiotemporal land cover changes was evaluated using urban compactness indicators and landscape metrics and results from the latter were used to draw conclusions about probable environmental impact The indicator results showed that urban proportions increased in nearly all areas outside of the metropolitan center including on portions of the ORM The landscape metrics reveal that low density urban areas increased significantly in the GTA between 1985 and 2005 mainly at the expense of agricultural land The metric results indicate increased vulnerability and exposure to adverse effects for natural and seminatural land cover through greater contrast and lowered connectivity The degree of urban perimeter increased around most environmentally significant areas in the region Changes like these negatively impact species and the regional water supply in the GTA Further investigation into specific environmental impacts of urban expansion in the region and which areas on the ORM are most at risk is recommendedThis research is supported by the Swedish Research Council for Environment Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning FORMAS Grant Holder Prof Yifang Ban The authors would like to thank the Geological Survey of Canada for providing ORM boundary GIS data and the Toronto Region and Conservation Authority for providing regional watershed and ESA GIS data and documentation
Keywords:
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- Chlorophyll a Simulation in a Lake Ecosystem Using a Model with Wavelet Analysis and Artificial Neural Network
- Six Years of CO 2 Flux Measurements for a Moderately Grazed Mixed-Grass Prairie
- Mapping Locust Habitats in the Amudarya River Delta, Uzbekistan with Multi-Temporal MODIS Imagery
- Reforestation Strategies Amid Social Instability: Lessons from Afghanistan
- A Proposed Aquatic Plant Community Biotic Index for Wisconsin Lakes
- Assessing the Restoration Success of River Widenings: A Landscape Approach
- Aquatic Nuisance Species in the New York State Canal and Hudson River Systems and the Great Lakes Basin: An Economic and Environmental Assessment
- Verification of Soil Carbon Sequestration—Sample Requirements
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- Ecological Knowledge Among Communities, Managers and Scientists: Bridging Divergent Perspectives to Improve Forest Management Outcomes
- Optimization of the Resources Management in Fighting Wildfires
- Plant Communities, Soil Carbon, and Soil Nitrogen Properties in a Successional Gradient of Sub-Alpine Meadows on the Eastern Tibetan Plateau of China
- Sensitivity Analysis of Aggregated Indices for Integrated Assessment with a Case Study of the Mid-Atlantic Region
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- Household-Level Determinants of Soil and Water Conservation Adoption Phases: Evidence from North-Western Ethiopian Highlands
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