Metrics of Change: Informing Ecological Restoration by Quantifying Landscapes and Processes in Banff National Park

<p>In response to the growing need for broad-scale ecological
monitoring, recent efforts have been made to quantify important
landscape changes. The landscapes in the Rocky Mountain Cordillera
undergo constant change due to the intricate interplay of ecological
processes, with fire being the primary disturbance agent. Fire
suppression policies have impeded the ecological role of fire, resulting
in increased conifer forest dominance and declines in landscape
heterogeneity. The objective of this study was to develop a methodology
to accurately measure regional landscape changes resulting from fire
suppression and fire restoration in Banff National Park, with the goal
of supporting data-informed resource management.</p>
<p>The use of remote sensing technologies provides consistent and
accurate data over large spatial and temporal scales, which would be
challenging with traditional field-based methods. A landscape metrics
approach was selected to investigate changes across 27 management units.
Four landscape metrics were calculated using annual land cover maps
derived from Virtual Land Cover Engine/Landsat-5/7 imagery spanning 34
years (1984-2019). Metrics were selected to capture conifer encroachment
(proportion of conifer class) and landscape heterogeneity (contagion,
edge density, Shannon’s diversity index) changes. Time-series analysis
and Thiel-Sen slope estimation were used to identify metric trends.</p>
<p>The methodology was successful in discerning regional-scale aspects
of fire ecology using landscape metrics. Management units lacking fire
(or with <10% area burned) are less heterogeneous and are trending
toward more conifer-dominated, less heterogeneous states. Reassuringly,
the opposite patterns are observed in management units with greater than
10% area burned, suggesting successful fire restoration efforts from a
landscape ecology standpoint.</p>
<p>The study’s resulting metrics offer resource managers additional
landscape attributes to compare and monitor management units, which can
support decision-making, prioritize fire restoration and inform future
ecological studies.</p>