Relationships between empirical and nominal indices of landscape function in the arid shrubland of Western Australia

Abstract

The area occupied by vegetated patches in comparison with area of the interpatch, is becoming an accepted and useful standard against which to assess ecosystem function in arid and semi-arid environments. Proportional areas of vegetated patches were found to be positively correlated with oxidizable C and total N in surface soil in low-woodland, but not in low-shrubland communities. Suggested indices of soil-surface condition and derived ratings of landscape function were positively related to soil fertility but less clearly with proportional areas of vegetated patches. These relationships were community-type specific. It is unclear whether the suggested approach provides more information on ..