'Sea-Change' and Landscape Change: A spatial examination of trend and alternative landscape futures for the Northern Rivers Region of New South Wales, Australia

Abstract

Throughout the world landscapes have been modified over time to meet the needs of humans. Although change is normal for all systems, this reshaping of landscapes and regions to meet our urban, agricultural and industrial needs has changed the structure and function of ecosystems at local and regional scales (Norton & Ulanowicz 1992; Power 1996; Essex and Brown 1997; Turner et al. 2001). While the interaction of social and ecological systems produced new desirable properties for humanity, the modification of a landscape structure and composition affects key ecological processes that govern the movement and low of energy, nutrients, water and biota (Forman & Godron 1986; O'Neill & Ritters 1999). The type, extent and rate of changes caused by these interactions can subsequently over-stress interdependent systems leading to a loss in ecosystem function, services and amenity (Johnson et al. 1999; Herce et al. 2003; Gunderson & Honing 2002; Brunckhorst 2000, 2005)