Landscape Science at the US Forest Service cuts across research disciplines and organizational divisions to understand the drivers and implications of landscape change across land ownerships; to produce spatial data and models that evaluate management alternatives; and to highlight when, where and how partnerships are indispensable to achieving shared land management objectives.
Research Focus Areas
Landscape-scale Assessments
Forest Service conducts broad-scale assessments to examine how key drivers of change affect the landscape balance of natural resources and ecosystem services important to society.
Landscape Ecology
Our research in Landscape Ecology examines ecological flows in increasingly complex, fragmented landscape mosaics to understand the connection between spatial patterns and processes.
Land Use & Land Cover Change
Land use determines the composition and spatial pattern of land cover and plays a critical role in structuring ecosystems in a landscape context. Forest Service research explores how economic, demographic, and policy factors drive land use change.
Spatial Data, Tools & Models
Forest Service research data illuminates spatial patterns of natural resources. Maps created with such data help inform policy and budget direction. Our tools and spatial modeling platforms are available and used by the broader research community.
Hubs of Landscape Science Expertise
