Multiscale delineation of landscape planning units based on spatial variation of land-use patterns in Galicia, NW Spain

The success of landscape planning and environmental management strategies depends largely on the congruence between the operational scales of landscapes and the spatial scope of the planning instruments. In order to achieve good results, landscape planning units should be designed to fit the structural and functional characteristics of the landscape. This paper describes a simple, straightforward methodology for the delineation of landscape units based on the differentiation among areas according to the trend in heterogeneity of their spatial structure. A moving-window analysis was performed with varying window sizes. This analysis enabled modeling of the spatial response of heterogeneity to multiple scales and detection of two different domains of scale. The information obtained was used to delineate a multiscale structure for landscape units. A subsequent study of the composition and configuration of landscape structure in these units verified that they all have distinct characteristics and therefore different planning needs. The areas thus differentiated can be considered as targets of specific and differentiated planning strategies, and can be seen as a preliminary zonation in which the relevant planning methodologies can be developed according to each case.