Influence of Land Use Change and Spatial Scale on Zoning and Planning Operation

People change the landscape process when they change landscape elements and structures. In order to ensure the flow and circulation in the environment, there should be suitable spatial analysis to satisfy the spatial requirement of species and other environmental quality. This dissertation focused on zoning in landscape planning and aimd to explore the effect of land use changes and spatial scales. Studies in this dissertation compared the relation between environmental conditions and environmental quality in different spatial units. In the study about spatial locations, the study sites were located in 14 main reservoir watersheds in Taiwan. The correlations were examined in whole watersheds, reservoir buffer zones and tributary riparian corridors. The results indicated that there were not significant relation between land uses and eutrophication in whole watersheds. In reservoir buffer zones and tributary riparian corridors, LCT agriculture had a significantly positive relation to the concentrations of TP and chl-a. Only in reservoir buffer zones, LUD forest as urban had a significantly positive relation to the concentrations of chl-a. In the study about spatial scales, the study sites were located in a typical rural area in Taiwan. twentyone sampling plots were selected along a suburban-hillside gradient. Based on each plot, sample areas were delimited with five radius (extents): 100 m, 130 m, 165 m, 200 m, and 250 m. The digitalization of land cover types applied four resolutions (grain sizes): 0.5 m, 5 m, 10 m, and 30 m. Thus, there were totally 20 sets of spatial scales. The relation between land uses and bird/butterfly biodiversity was examined. In order to provide practical recommendations for planning and management, study two also examined the predictive powers (to birds/butterflies biodiversity) of specific land cover types. The results indicated that the scale of extent 165 m and grain size 0.5/5 m is appropriate to perform the relation between land use and bird biodiversity. There was not a significantly appropriate scale for butterflies. However, correlation between birds and butterflies supported the usage of a common spatial scale. This dissertation emphasized the natural zoning based on physical geography, such as ridgelines and basins. The zoning and planning should consider the ecological function of each landscape elements. Besides, the delimitation of spatial scales should take into account of multi-species and conserve complete ecology.