110 Pedodiversity
• Change refers to alteration in the structure and function of the
ecological mosaic through time.
(2) Scale. Because landscape ecologists deal with processes occurring
at a wide range of spatial and temporal scales, it is important to
carefully defi ne both spatial and temporal scale because it infl uences
the conclusions drawn by an observer and whether the results can be
extrapolated to other times and locations (Turner et al. 2001). There
is no “best” scale at which to study the environment; the appropriate
scale depends on the research question at hand (Noss 1992) so that
an exploration of a broad spectrum of spatial and temporal scales
is recommended (Wiens et al. 1986). Scale has a prominent role in
landscape ecology ...