About IALE

Landscape ecology: what is it?

Landscape ecology is the study of spatial variation in landscapes at a variety of scales. It includes the biophysical and societal causes and consequences of landscape heterogeneity. Above all, it is broadly interdisciplinary.

The conceptual and theoretical core of landscape ecology links natural sciences with related human disciplines. Landscape ecology can be portrayed by several of its core themes:

• the spatial pattern or structure of landscapes, ranging from wilderness to cities,
• the relationship between pattern and process in landscapes,
• the relationship of human activity to landscape pattern, process and change,
• the effect of scale and disturbance on the landscape

Landscape ecology: science and action

IALE encourages landscape ecologists to transcend boundaries and to work together building theory and developing knowledge of landscape pattern and process, developing integrative tools, and making them applicable to real landscape situations and applying them to solve problems.

Throughout the world, landscapes are being altered more rapidly, more extensively, and more profoundly than at any point in human history. Comprehensive land use planning and sound land use policy are still the exception, but should become the rule. Members of IALE have a critical role to play.

Applying landscape ecology stimulates the integration of various disciplines. Therefore, landscape ecology should always look for opportunities for action. Landscape ecologists make assumptions and uncertainties explicit whenever relevant, point out our risks for the decision maker, and always strive to improve the applicability and accuracy of their tools.

Landscape ecology: the vision

In looking ahead, IALE envisions a future characterized by:

• widespread recognition, within the scientific community, of the contributions made by landscape ecologists,
• rigorous research and scholarship, resulting from the active collaboration and interdisciplinary synergism among diverse fields encompassed by biophysical sciences, social sciences, humanities, and the landscape professions,
• natural resource management, land planning and design, conservation, and land use policy widely, routinely, and creatively based on principles of landscape ecology.

The Mission

The International Association for Landscape Ecology (IALE) aims to develop landscape ecology as a scientific basis for analysis, planning and management of the landscapes of the world. IALE advances international co-operation and interdisciplinary synergism within the field, through scientific, scholarly, educational and communication activities. 

How does IALE achieve its aims?

• IALE provides an infrastructure as a world wide organization of landscape ecologists, which serves as a discussion platform and stimulates interaction across the disciplines. IALE will create an infrastructure to make it easy for landscape ecologists to contact each other and to know about current developments in landscape ecology around the world.
• IALE brings together expertise from different disciplines in solving problems and aims to program new research topics.

The IALE brochure is available in pdf.

The IALE_statutes are available in pdf.

GuidelinesChapterIALE.pdf

GuidelinesWorkingGroupIALE.pdf

Most members have received the IALE Directory 2004. The IALE Directory is produced as a .pdf file. It contains names, addresses and e-mail links of all members, the Executive Committee and the regional boards. Due to privacy reasons the Directory is not free available as a download.
The Directory 2004 is available for all members and it can be requested from the treasurer Rob Jongman.