景观生态学原理在城市土地利用分类中的应用

根据城市相同土地利用类型具有相似景观格局特征的原理,探讨了融合景观格局特征指数和遥感技术的城市土地利用信息提取的新方法。以北京市五环内建城区为例,研究表明,在斑块类型水平和景观水平上,居住用地和非居住用地内景观斑块的大小、形状、边缘特征、空间连接度、核心区面积特征、多样性、均匀性等特征都有极显著的差异。进一步融合TM遥感影像和这些景观格局特征指数,提取了居民用地和非居民用地类型,总分类精度是79.7%,Kappa系数达到59.8%。研究揭示,景观生态学原理的引入,为传统的遥感技术应用提供了新的思路,在格局复杂的城市土地利用信息提取中有很大的应用发展潜力。     

The use of modelling and simulation approach in reconstructing past landscapes from fossil pollen data: a review and results from the POLLANDCAL network

Information on past land cover in terms of absolute areas of different landscape units (forest, open land, pasture land, cultivated land, etc.) at local to regional scales is needed to test hypotheses and answer questions related to climate change (e.g. feedbacks effects of land-cover change), archaeological research, and nature conservancy (e.g. management strategy). The palaeoecological technique best suited to achieve quantitative reconstruction of past vegetation is pollen analysis. A simulation approach developed by Sugita (the computer model POLLSCAPE) which uses models based on the theory of pollen analysis is presented together with examples of application. POLLSCAPE has been adopted as the central tool for POLLANDCAL (POLlen/LANdscape CALibration), an international research network focusing on this topic. The theory behind models of the pollen–vegetation relationship and POLLSCAPE is reviewed. The two model outputs which receive greatest attention in this paper are the relevant source area of pollen (RSAP) and pollen loading in mires and lakes. Six examples of application of POLLSCAPE are presented, each of which explores a possible use of the POLLANDCAL tools and a means of validating or evaluating the models with empirical data. The landscape and vegetation factors influencing the size of the RSAP, the importance of pollen productivity estimates (PPEs) for the model outputs, the detection of small and rare patches of plant taxa in pollen records, and quantitative reconstructions of past vegetation and landscapes are discussed on the basis of these examples. The simulation approach is seen to be useful both for exploring different vegetation/landscape scenarios and for refuting hypotheses.     

景观格局-土壤侵蚀研究中景观指数的意义解释及局限性

景观格局分析是景观生态学研究的重要组成部分。景观指数是景观格局分析的有力工具。近年来,景观格局与土壤侵蚀关系的相关研究增多,常规景观格局指数得到应用。但针对土壤侵蚀过程的景观指数意义解释不足,景观指数在刻画景观格局-土壤侵蚀过程关系存在局限。选择了连接性、多样性、边界/斑块密度、形状4个方面的12个常用景观指数,对这些指数在景观格局-土壤侵蚀过程关系研究中的意义进行阐述,对指数应用的局限性及其原因进行了分析。景观数据属性、景观指数本身性质和土壤侵蚀过程的复杂性使得常规景观格局指数在景观格局-土壤侵蚀关系研究中存在不足。这3方面的影响使得常规景观格局指数与土壤侵蚀表征变量之间不存在确定的关系,从而难以通过景观指数来表征景观土壤侵蚀特征。缺乏土壤侵蚀过程基础是常规景观指数在土壤侵蚀研究应用中存在局限的主要原因。因此,构建基于土壤侵蚀过程的景观指数是景观格局-土壤侵蚀关系研究的需要和新的发展方向。     

Scale dependence of landscape metrics and their indicatory value for nutrient and organic matter losses from catchments

We investigated scale dependence of landscape metrics and the relationship between land use parameters and FRAGSTATS-based landscape metrics (edge density (ED), patch density (PD), mean shape index (SHAPE_MN), mean euclidean nearest neighbor index (ENN_MN), contagion (CONTAG), patch richness density (PRD), and Shannon's diversity index (SHDI)) and nutrient/organic-matter-based water quality indicators (BOD₇ and COD_KMnO4 values, total-N and total-P concentrations in water) in 24 catchments with various land use patterns in Estonia. We used the Basic Map of Estonia (1:10,000), the Base Map of Estonia (1:50,000) and the CORINE Land Cover Map (1:100,000). In scale analysis, we calculated landscape metrics on artificial and real landscapes. Scale analysis showed that responses of landscape metrics to changing grain size vary among landscapes and metrics. Analysis of artificial landscapes showed that mean euclidean nearest neighbor distance and contagion are directly dependent on grain size and should therefore be used carefully. When finding relationships between landscape metrics and water quality indicators, significant differences between the relationships derived from the Base Map and the CORINE Land Cover Map were found. In the case of the Base Map, landscape metrics correlated strongly with land use and showed no expected relationships with water quality data. This underlines the importance of land use classification in such kind of analysis. Correlation between the landscape metrics calculated on the basis of the CORINE Land Cover Map and water quality data was stronger than in the case of the Base Map. The COD_KMnO4 value significantly correlated with all land use types. For instance, the COD_KMnO4 values are higher when fens and natural areas form a higher proportion of the catchments’ land use. Except for the BOD₇ value, all the water quality indicators showed significant correlation with urban land use proportions. Strong relationship between the patch density and the COD_KMnO4 value is most likely caused by the fact that both parameters were significantly correlated with the proportion of natural areas. As the landscape metrics depend on pixel size, topographic scale, and land use classification, and as the effect of land use on water quality in catchments is the most significant of the factors, it was impossible to separate the influence of land use pattern from the influence of FRAGSTATS-based landscape metrics.     

SWAT模型对景观格局变化的敏感性分析——以丹江口库区老灌河流域为例

景观的空间配置与类型组成能够对流域的产流、产沙及非点源污染产生影响。在以往SWAT模型研究中,往往默认水文模型考虑了该影响。为分析SWAT模型对不同景观格局变化的敏感性,根据老灌河流域2000年土地利用在各子流域的组成,模拟研究区更为破碎、复杂的景观空间配置,通过设置多套试验参数,利用SWAT模型生成基于不同景观格局的模拟结果。结果表明,SWAT模型不能反映除坡度和面积变化之外的景观水平下各斑块之间因景观空间格局改变对流域产流、产沙以及非点源污染的影响;模型通过其他参数的调整,弥补了模型分析数据的不足,使实测数据与模型部分结果高度吻合。这表明,一个能够反映流域部分水文特征的SWAT模型,未必是对研究区真实情形的模拟,而是各个参数间平衡的结果。因此,在利用SWAT模型分析模拟景观变化时,不应默认模型能够模拟景观空间格局改变对流域水文过程的影响,同时研究者可以通过划分坡度带,提高模型对不同坡度土地利用的敏感性。     

Landscape structure versus the effectiveness of nature conservation: Roztocze region case study (Poland)

The objective of the study was to examine the extent to which landscape metrics could be used as an indicator of efficient management of protection areas. The selected sampling areas were natural–landscape units distinguished within the Roztocze Region located in the central-east Poland. Among 446 units, those representing three typological groups determined by three factors were selected. The factors included (1) the area of the unit; (2) the dominant or characteristic type of ecosystem; and (3) the form of protection. Subsequently, thirteen landscape metrics were calculated with the application of the Fragstats software. The analysis revealed high correlation between the form of nature protection and the majority of the calculated indexes. National park units show the highest landscape diversity and stability of various types of ecosystems. This suggests high conservation efficiency. Landscape park units are distinguished by fragmented patchy composition, and spatial structure even less stable than that of the non-protected areas. The study results show that landscape metrics could be used as an indicator of efficient management of different forms of nature protection. They provide an insight into the structure and functioning of the environment at various levels of its organisation. We particularly found diversity metrics to be useful for indicating whether nature conservation goals are archived, and the size and density metric for measuring human interference in the landscape. The selection and interpretation of indexes should be determined by the specific character of a given area.     

Can we measure ecological sustainability? Landscape pattern as an indicator for naturalness and land use intensity at regional,national and European level

European landscapes have been shaped over the centuries by processes related to human land use, which are reflected in regionally distinct landscape patterns. Since landscape pattern has been linked to biodiversity and other ecological values of the landscapes, this paper explores landscape pattern as a tool for ecological sustainability assessments at the regional (Austrian Cultural Landscapes), national (Austria) and European (European Union + Norway, Switzerland) level with focus on agricultural landscapes. A set of landscape metrics served as a basis to assess naturalness and geometrisation of Austrian and European landscapes as a proxy for their sustainability. To achieve an accurate spatially explicit assessment, we applied a spatial reference framework consisting in units that are homogeneous in biophysical and socio-economic contexts, adapted the regional approach for its application at European level, and developed relative sustainability thresholds for the landscape metrics. The analyses revealed that several landscape metrics, particularly the “Number of Shape Characterising Points” showed a high correlation with the degree of naturalness. The sustainability map of Austria based on an ordinal regression model revealed well-known problem regions of ecological sustainability. At the European level, the relative deviation from the average pattern showed clearly the simplification processes in the landscapes. However, a better spatial resolution of land cover data would add to the refinement of pattern analysis in regions and therefore the assessment of sustainability. We recommend the combination of information of different scales for the formulation and implementation of sustainability policies.     

上海浦东新区城市化过程景观格局变化分析

利用1994和2000年航空遥感影像资料解译的土地利用与覆盖数据,在GIS支持下,采用景观格局指数和梯度方法分析了上海市浦东新区城市化过程中景观格局的变化.结果表明,随着城市化程度的推进,浦东新区由原来以农业为主的格局逐渐转变成以居民地、公共设施和工厂为主的城市景观格局,农田占地比例由1994年的71.45%下降到2000年的41.32%,居民地、公共设施和工厂总占地由1994年的18.2%上升到2000年的41.9%.整体景观格局的破碎化程度和异质性都有所增加,斑块个数由1994年的4.08个·km^-2上升至2000年28.65个·km^-2,面积平均加权由24.43 km²减少到1.75 km²,聚集度由98.31下降为95.09,多样性和均匀性指数分别由0.4697和0.5284增至0.7509和0.8343.在样带梯度分析中,景观格局指数能检测出城市化梯度及城市化程度不断向郊区递减的趋势,城市化水平较高地区以人工景观为主,表现出斑块个数多且面积小、斑块形状简单和景观多样性高等景观特征.景观格局动态变化分析是了解城市化过程中城市形态、结构及生态过程的基础.     

基于GIS的北京市城乡景观格局梯度时空变化研究

利用遥感和GIS的技术手段,对1990年和2000年北京市的土地利用数据进行了景观格局指数计算及景观梯度分析和时空变化分析,从而得出了北京市10年间城市化过程中土地利用景观结构变化特征和城乡景观的梯度变化的时空特点.结果表明,1990年和2000年北京市景观以林地和耕地为主,城镇用地总面积大量增加,2000年其总面积和农村居民点景观面积差别很小,北京的城市化水平已经达到较高程度.城镇用地景观沿样带分布呈典型的"凸"字形,城镇用地比例随距离市中心距离的增大而逐渐减小,城市化过程在10年间继续向郊区推进,向北扩张强度大于向南.城区范围不断扩大,中心城区聚集性大幅度增大,城乡交错带的景观斑块密度增大,景观破碎程度加剧,是景观格局变化最剧烈的区域.利用景观格局指数在样带上的梯度分布和其随时间的变化来分析城市发展特点、模式是一种研究城市化过程的重要手段.     

“Ordinary biodiversity” in western Burkina Faso (West Africa): what vegetation do the state forests conserve?

The role of state forests in the conservation of the savannah environment of western Burkina Faso (West Africa) was assessed by considering the customary and fundamental biological components of plant diversity. The focus is on the “ordinary biodiversity” which constitutes the current environment of human populations and which generates their resources. Overall floristic composition, α, β, γ diversities and species accumulation curves of landscape units were compared inside and outside protected areas. Common species were identified according to their frequencies in landscape units and their local abundance. The occurrences of functional (life form, dispersion, etc.) and human-valued (current uses, potential threats, etc.) traits were compared. Current land uses outside protected areas have an unequal effect on the various components of plant diversity. Species richnesses and specific structures were all the more altered for woody species as agricultural pressure is high; conversely, they were maintained for herbaceous communities for which the proportion of wide-ranging species increased. The preservation of useful plant species on cultivated lands was obvious for woody species with edible fruits but less tangible for timber and service wood. It was deficient for species that furnish other non-wood products (e.g. leaves used as food or fodder), the conservation of which may be jeopardized where anthropic pressure is high. Given current land uses and dynamics, maintaining conservation areas in land use planning is crucial in order to preserve ordinary biodiversity. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Seeking parsimony in landscape metrics

Numerous metrics describing landscape patterns have been used to explain landscape-scale habitat selection by birds. The myriad metrics, their complexity, and inconsistent responses to them by birds have led to a lack of clear recommendations for managing land for desired species. The amount of a target land cover type in the landscape (percentage cover) often has been a useful indicator of the likelihood of species occurrence or of habitat selection; is it also a more adequate and parsimonious measure for explaining species distributions than patch size or more complex measures of landscape configuration? We examined responses of 6 woodland-interior bird species to the percentage tree cover within prescribed areas and to patch size, edge density, and other metrics. We examined responses in 2 landscapes: a mixed woodland-savanna and an eastern deciduous forest. For these 6 species, percentage tree cover explained bird occurrence as well as or better than other measures in both study areas. We then repeated the analysis on a larger group of woodland species, including those associated with woodland edges. The bird species we studied had varied responses to landscape metrics, but percentage tree cover was the strongest explanatory variable overall. Although percentage cover estimated from remotely sensed data is an inexact representation of habitat in the landscape, it does appear to be reliable and easy to conceptualize, relative to other measures. We suggest that, at least for woodland habitat, percentage cover is a broadly useful measure that can be helpful in pragmatic questions of explaining responses to landscapes or in anticipating responses to landscape change. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

Landscape heterogeneity metrics as indicators of bird diversity: Determining the optimal spatial scales in different landscapes

Species distribution models are often used to study the biodiversity of ecosystems. The modelling process uses a number of parameters to predict others, such as the occurrence of determinate species, population size, habitat suitability or biodiversity. It is well known that the heterogeneity of landscapes can lead to changes in species’ abundance and biodiversity. However, landscape metrics depend on maps and spatial scales when it comes to undertaking a GIS analysis.We explored the goodness of fit of several models using the metrics of landscape heterogeneity and altitude as predictors of bird diversity in different landscapes and spatial scales. Two variables were used to describe biodiversity: bird richness and trophic level diversity, both of which were obtained from a breeding bird survey by means of point counts. The relationships between biodiversity and landscape metrics were compared using multiple linear regressions. All of the analyses were repeated for 14 different spatial scales and for cultivated, forest and grassland environments to determine the optimal spatial scale for each landscape typology.Our results revealed that the relationships between species’ richness and landscape heterogeneity using 1:10,000 land cover maps were strongest when working on a spatial scale up to a radius of 125–250 m around the sampled point (circa 4.9–19.6 ha). Furthermore, the correlation between measures of landscape heterogeneity and bird diversity was greater in grasslands than in cultivated or forested areas. The multi-spatial scale approach is useful for (a) assessing the accuracy of surrogates of bird diversity in different landscapes and (b) optimizing spatial model procedures for biodiversity mapping, mainly over extensive areas.     

景观指数耦合景观格局与土壤侵蚀的有效性

景观格局分析是景观生态学中揭示景观变化及其生态效应的主要方法,而景观指数是景观格局分析中广泛使用的工具。土壤侵蚀是土壤物质在景观中的迁移和再分配过程,受地形、植被和人类活动及其空间格局的调控。运用景观格局分析揭示景观格局变化特别是土地利用/覆被格局变化对土壤侵蚀的影响是土壤侵蚀研究中应用景观生态学原理和方法的典型。在当前的研究中,斑块-廊道-基质范式下建立的景观指数对侵蚀过程的解释能力不断受到质疑,建立筛选适用的景观指数的原则和方法十分必要。以延河流域碾庄沟小流域为例,利用WATEM/SEDEM模型模拟多个年份流域侵蚀产沙和输沙量;基于土地利用/覆被数据,利用Fragstat4.2软件,计算了相应年份流域斑块、边界密度、形状、集聚与分散和斑块类型多样性4个方面的代表性景观指数。在此基础上,分析了景观指数与流域侵蚀产沙和输沙之间的关系,讨论了景观指数在土壤侵蚀研究中的有效性,在景观和斑块类型水平上分析了景观指数表达"源"、"汇"两大类景观类型的空间格局与侵蚀产沙和输沙之间的关系的一致性。结果表明:斑块-廊道-基底范式下发展的景观指数在指示景观格局的土壤侵蚀效应时存在局限。相对而言,斑块类型尺度的景观指数更能有效表达景观格局与土壤侵蚀的关系。基于景观类型在土壤侵蚀过程中的"源"、"汇"功能,提出了在土壤侵蚀研究中筛选适用的景观指数的原则:(1)对"源"、"汇"两类景观类型,景观指数与土壤侵蚀状况表征变量的相关系数符号相反;(2)对同为"源"或"汇"景观类型的多个景观类型,景观指数与土壤侵蚀表征变量的相关系数应具有符号一致性。尽管景观指数在斑块类型水平上具有一定的有效性,但用其预测景观格局变化的侵蚀效应有很大的不确定性。因此,基于土壤侵蚀过程与景观格局的作用机制发展新型的景观指数是增强景观格局分析预测土壤侵蚀过程的能力的途径。     

The use of adjacency analysis for quantifying landscape changes

Abstract

The analysis of landscape changes in space and time plays an important role in landscape ecology. Analyzing landscape dynamics through time may be crucial for identifying historical and current processes that shape the actual landscapes and for developing predictive landscape models for ecosystem management and conservation. In this view, the propensity of land cover patches to change is at least partially related to the nature of their contact types. The interactions of a given patch with adjacent land cover types affect both land use exploitation by humans and vegetation dynamics. The aim of this paper is to use patch boundary dynamics for describing the landscape changes that occurred in the Lepini Mountains (central Italy) during 1954 – 2000. Results show an increase in landscape complexity in the Mediterranean land units and a corresponding decrease in landscape complexity in the Temperate land units. This differential trend is due to a complex, human-driven temporal dynamics of Mediterranean ecosystems that generates heterogeneity as opposed to a diffuse landscape abandonment in the Temperate region that leads to a more homogeneous boundary structure.     

Long-term patterns of change in a vanishing cultural landscape: A GIS-based assessment

The specific patterns of land use change that can be observed in many economically developed countries have fundamental implications on landscape structure and geomorphological processes. Areas characterized by widespread erosion such as badlands are often sensitive to anthropic modifications and of large interest in the analysis of the topographic determinants of land use change. This work aims to analyse the land use and landscape structure changes occurred in a Mediterranean landscape by analysing historical maps and infer the underlying processes that contribute to the pattern of change. First we carried out a comparative examination of three historical image datasets (1820, 1954, 2005) through overlay image processing and cross-classification analysis. Then we analysed the relationships between the detected land-use transformations and topographic parameters. Finally we determined the landscape structure change patterns through the use of GIS-based landscape metrics. The results showed how the study areas have experienced significant land use changes, mainly due to the abandonment of traditional rural systems. We found semi-natural areas distribution to be closely connected with terrain-shaping processes. The processes that underlie the multi-temporal landscape structure change have produced an overall increase of the landscape complexity. The work is one of the first attempts to use historical cartographic data to quantitatively assess changes in land use and landscape structure in the Mediterranean area. The proposed integrated methodology can support decision-making in landscape planning and may represent a useful tool to define effective strategies for biodiversity conservation.     

Integrating small-scale landscape elements into land use/cover: The impact on landscape metrics’ values

Over the last 30 years the use and misuse of landscape metrics has been widely studied. However, there has been less attention on incorporating small-scale landscape elements into landscape analysis. Data type used in the analysis can be either vector or raster, while the raster format is more widely used. However, using large-scale topographical vector databases has several advantages – they cover whole countries with very detailed and accurate topographical data. Despite the high level of detail, their amount in Mb is small, which allows simultaneously to analyse large areas. The peculiarity of vector data is that small-scale landscape elements are mapped as point elements or lines. For calculating landscape metrics, the integration of these features and LULC (land use/cover) polygons is needed. In the current study we investigated how integration of point and linear elements into polygon layers affects the values of landscape metrics. Adding line buffers influenced metrics’ values more than adding point elements. The ensemble of point and linear objects is similar to linear objects. Our study revealed that integrating small-scale landscape elements into land use/cover layers by using buffers gives more realistic values if the buffer size is in compliance with the size of the phenomena in the real world and suitable landscape metrics are chosen. However, the metrics that responded to adding small-scale landscape elements in correspondence with their real world impact on landscape metric values might not always be the best ecological indicators in terms of small-scale landscape elements. Another issue is that values of landscape metrics depend directly on the number of classes determined in the data specification, and on the data model. If the number of mappable point and linear objects changes, or the data model of the linear objects changes, the values of landscape metrics differ.     

Calculating landscape diversity with information-theory based indices: A GRASS GIS solution

The assessment of species diversity in relatively large areas has always been a challenging task for ecologists, mainly because of the intrinsic difficulty to judge the completeness of species lists and to undertake sufficient and appropriate sampling. Since the variability of remotely sensed signal is expected to be related to landscape diversity, it could be used as a good proxy of diversity at species level.It has been demonstrated that the relation between species and landscape diversity measured from remotely sensed data or land use maps varies with scale. However, Free and Open Source tools (allowing an access to the source code) for assessing landscape diversity at different spatial scales are still lacking today. In this paper, we aim at: i) providing a theoretical background of the mostly used diversity indices stemmed from information theory that are commonly applied to quantify landscape diversity from remotely sensed data and ii) proposing a free and robust Open Source tool (r.diversity) with its source code for calculating diversity indices (and allowing an easy potential implementation of new metrics by multiple contributors globally) at different spatial scales from remotely-sensed imagery or land use maps, running under the widely used Open Source program GRASS GIS.r.diversity can be a valuable tool for calculating landscape diversity in an Open Source space given the availability of multiple indices at multiple spatial scales with the possibility to create new indices directly reusing the code.We expect that the subject of this paper will stimulate discussions on the opportunities offered by Free and Open Source Software to calculate landscape diversity indices.     

Imperiled freshwater mussels in drainage channels associated with rare agricultural landscape and diverse fish communities

Identification of landscape structures that predict the distribution of aquatic organisms has the potential to provide a practical management tool for species conservation in agricultural drainage channels. We tested the hypothesis that sites with imperiled freshwater mussels have distinct rural landscape structures and are characterized by the presence of diverse fish communities. In central Japan, the proportion of developed land use in surrounding areas was compared among sites with mussel populations (mussel sites) and randomly chosen sites (random sites) across multiple spatial scales (with a radius ranging from 100 to 3,000 m). Mussel sites were characterized by a much lower proportion of developed land (mean 5–18 %) compared with random sites (mean 32–35 %) at a scale of ≤300 m. The areas that met the landscape criteria for mussel sites across multiple scales constituted only 0.23 % of the area that was presumed to have suitable slope and elevation as a mussel habitat. Landscape metrics derived from mussel sites to locate unknown populations had a low predictability (16.7 %). Sites with mussels were located close to each other and had fish communities with higher taxonomic diversity than in sites without mussels. In addition, mussel taxonomic richness was a good predictor of fish community diversity. The quantitative measures of landscape structure may serve as a useful tool when prioritizing or identifying areas for conservation of mussels and fish if spatially autocorrelated distribution of habitat and other critical environmental factors such as habitat connectivity are also considered.     

Landscape responses to a century of land use along the northern Patagonian forest-steppe transition

Land use history reconstructions in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere indicate that periods of deforestation are often followed by natural afforestation, so that the long-term outcome at the landscape level will be a balance of retractions and advances of plant communities associated with varying local land uses. During the last decades of the XIX century, large forest areas were cleared in Northwestern Patagonia to open farmland. In this article, we compared historical land use/land cover maps with land cover maps derived from Landsat images to analyze the factors that may have influenced the dynamics of land cover change of the forest-steppe ecotone during the last 100 years. Our results indicate that Patagonian forests underwent a rapid initial recovery after the extensive fires of last century, replacing mainly shrublands. More than 50% of the old burns are currently covered by forests, and modern fires affect areas characterized by fire-prone vegetation. Whereas natural afforestation is an ongoing process positively associated with moisture, the rate of forest losses has increased during the last three decades, concentrating on xeric aspects and the vicinity of roads. We conclude that the outcome of the dynamics between fire-intolerant forests and fire-prone plant communities will largely depend on human-related activities, modeled by structural features of the landscape (i.e., topography, dominant winds), and processes triggered by past land uses.     

Designing ecological corridors in a fragmented landscape: A fuzzy approach to circuit connectivity analysis

Landscape connectivity analysis is a major tool in supporting biodiversity conservation. Several methodologies have been developed to tackle it by following two main paths. The first path exploits graph approaches and models focal nodes’ connections on a resistance/conductance matrix depending on focal species’ movement potential. The second path considers geometrical pattern analyses based on the calculation of structural landscape metrics. These approaches separately investigate functional and structural features of the landscape, and may come short of a total definition if used separately. Here we propose a new scalable, modular, participative and open-source procedure based on Fuzzy logic to combine the functional and structural aspects of connectivity. We applied this method on the highly fragmented landscape of the Po Plain, focusing on its rare and endangered plain springs named fontanili. We identified an expert panel and involved it in the assignation of permeability values of land use classes with respect to the capacity of movement of animal species typical of fontanili. We concurrently performed a quantitative evaluation of the landscape fragmentation with a moving window. We found that the functional and structural evaluations were poorly correlated in the area under study (Pearson's r = −0.35, p < 0.001). We thus integrated these two non-overlapping analyses of the landscape by Fuzzy logic using thresholds and combination weights obtained from questionnaires proposed to the expert panel. The resulting index, termed Fuzzy Functionality Index (FFI), improved the level of information associated with landscape classification. By merging functional and structural aspects of the landscape, the FFI allowed us to discriminate different functional values of equally permeable parcels and vice versa. We demonstrate that FFI may act as a conductance measure in a circuit theory approach, highlighting ecological corridors between focal points of species’ distribution. We present FFI as an effective predictive index to inspect complex and non-linear landscape dynamics.