<p>In 1999 the Swedish Parliament decided about 15 environmental goals aimed to be achieved in time for the next generation. For example physical social planning must be based on programs and strategies how cultural-historical values has been attended, so called programs of cultural heritage. By law the Swedish municipalities are responsible for reaching these goals by creating program of cultural heritage. But only a few of the municipalities have these programs, meaning that many municipalities need to create programs of cultural heritage in the next five years.</p><p>The aim of this report is to present a model of analysis on programs of cultural heritage in municipalities for preservation and development of cultural environments. By testing the model on the municipalities of Osby and Tomelilla methods on how to create a new program of cultural heritage or how to complete existing documents are formulated.</p><p>One of the conclusions is that one document, program of cultural heritage, functions as landscape analysis, model of cultural valuation and strategy of developing cultural values. One condition is that the program of cultural heritage is established in social planning in the municipality.</p><p>Two case-studies, the Osby and Tomelilla programs of cultural heritage with text-analysis and interviews, constitutes the study. The municipalities do not use these programs in full extension, often based on ignorance. When the program isn’t established with politicians or employees it can’t be established with citizens. The study shows great differences between the program in Tomelilla which can be applied to the physical social planning, and the program in Osby which can’t. The conclusion is that the program needs to be adjusted for the cause if the program can’t be applied in the hysical social planning in the municipality.</p><p>The common meaning in the municipalities is that cultural heritage is a positive factor, which makes it possible to reach the environmental goals, regional development, tourism et cetera. One important part in a program of cultural heritage is to erase the boundaries between nature, recreation and culture by finding the starting point in the specific environment, not based on the administrative responsibility.</p>

In 1999 the Swedish Parliament decided about 15 environmental goals aimed to be achieved in time for the next generation. For example physical social planning must be based on programs and strategies how cultural-historical values has been attended, so called programs of cultural heritage. By law the Swedish municipalities are responsible for reaching these goals by creating program of cultural heritage. But only a few of the municipalities have these programs, meaning that many municipalities need to create programs of cultural heritage in the next five years. The aim of this report is to present a model of analysis on programs of cultural heritage in municipalities for preservation and development of cultural environments. By testing the model on the municipalities of Osby and Tomelilla methods on how to create a new program of cultural heritage or how to complete existing documents are formulated. One of the conclusions is that one document, program of cultural heritage, functions as landscape analysis, model of cultural valuation and strategy of developing cultural values. One condition is that the program of cultural heritage is established in social planning in the municipality. Two case-studies, the Osby and Tomelilla programs of cultural heritage with text-analysis and interviews, constitutes the study. The municipalities do not use these programs in full extension, often based on ignorance. When the program isn’t established with politicians or employees it can’t be established with citizens. The study shows great differences between the program in Tomelilla which can be applied to the physical social planning, and the program in Osby which can’t. The conclusion is that the program needs to be adjusted for the cause if the program can’t be applied in the hysical social planning in the municipality. The common meaning in the municipalities is that cultural heritage is a positive factor, which makes it possible to reach the environmental goals, regional development, tourism et cetera. One important part in a program of cultural heritage is to erase the boundaries between nature, recreation and culture by finding the starting point in the specific environment, not based on the administrative responsibility.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-07T14:49:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 parte1.pdf: 2850230 bytes, checksum: 5c618aee9e4b49223888b7b3a4de9807 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-02-22 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / It was aimed in the present work to bring questions forwards on the relations man/Nature, in an attempt to understand the processes related to exploitation of environmental resources. It was also investigated the spatial modifications and social relations at the littoral area where tourism is deemed as the threshold of land-use and under occupancy. This way, it was chosen for this study the coastal plain of the municipality of Lucena, on the northern littoral of Paraíba state. That plain is a typical geomorphologic formation of Northeast Brazil, whose geographical localization and natural and cultural resources, like the 16 km long beaches, constituted by sand dunes, estuaries, religious sanctuaries, population s kind hospitality, among other features, turned that region into a highly popular tourist place, attracting the most different interests from the agents of urban space formation. The occupancy of the area occurred in two distinct periods, which generated the need to analyze the former and current processes of occupancy. The first process took place between 1970 and 1980, when socio-spatial transformations originated from the Pro-álcool governmental programme was settled on coastal tablelands and attracted peasant farmers on search of better life conditions. The second period of occupancy took place in a speed that had not yet been noticed, starting in 1990 through stimuli from the state government by implementing the local infrastructure, mainly the transport system, as roads were built and a ferry-boat was introduced for a shorter and quicker link of Lucena to neighbour cities, besides to open a new space for tourism and for second residence. The urban sprawl in the area has been badly planned, causing many different kinds of social and environmental negative impacts. In loco surveys performed in the present work showed that the most relevant problems in the study area are due to lack of sustainable employment and income programmes, and to negligence on preservation and conservation of natural resources, worsened by deficits in services and urban equipment. After identifying problems and through application of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a proposal of environmental planning was elaborated for the area, aiming the presentation of actions that could be carried out to reverse the critical social and environmental situation experienced by local population / A presente pesquisa busca trazer uma reflexão sobre questões em torno da relação do homem com a Natureza, na tentativa de se compreender os processos de exploração dos recursos ambientais. Procurou-se também observar a modificação do espaço e as relações sociais em áreas litorâneas, que tem no turismo o elemento norteador de uso e ocupação do solo. Para esse propósito, elegeu-se como área de estudo a planície costeira do município de Lucena, que se localiza no litoral norte do Estado da Paraíba. A planície é uma das formações geomorfológicas típicas da região nordeste do Brasil, que devido a sua localização geográfica e os seus recursos ambientais e culturais, como os seus 16 km de praias formadas por pequenas dunas, estuários, santuários religiosos, hospitalidade da sua população, entre outros, é considerada uma região de grande potencial turístico, despertou nos diferentes agentes de formação do espaço urbano os mais variados interesses. A ocupação da área se deu em dois momentos distintos, e por esse motivo houve a necessidade de se fazer uma análise dos processos passados e atuais. A primeira ocupação aconteceu entre os anos de 1970 a 1980, e foi motivada pelas transformações sócioespaciais que decorreram nos tabuleiros costeiros devido ao Pro-álcool, que empurrou parte dos agricultores para a planície costeira na expectativa de melhores condições de vida. O segundo momento, que se deu a uma velocidade nunca antes vista, aconteceu a partir do inicio dos anos de 1990 com o incentivo do poder público que implementou algumas infra-estruturas, particularmente de transporte, como as rodovias estaduais e o ferry-boat que veio facilitar a ligação com cidades vizinhas e abrir o espaço para prática do turismo e para a segunda residência. A expansão urbana na área deu-se de forma desordenada acarretando consigo os mais diferentes tipos de impactos sociais e ambientais negativos. Através dos levantamentos in loco foi possível constatar que os problemas mais relevantes na área de estudo, têm origem na falta de programas sustentáveis de emprego e renda, e, no descaso em relação a preservação e conservação dos recursos ambientais, agravadas pelo déficit de serviços e equipamentos urbanos. Após a identificação dos problemas e com a aplicação do Processo Analítico Hierárquico (AHP), foi elaborada uma proposta de planejamento ambiental para a área que tem como meta apresentar ações que podem ser realizadas para reverter a difícil situação social e ambiental em que vive a população lucenense

Submitted by PAULO DE MIRANDA BERNARDO null (paulombernardo@gmail.com) on 2017-10-25T16:38:08Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Recomposição florestal visando a infiltração de água uma abordagem multicriterial-repositorio.pdf: 4224440 bytes, checksum: c7b74ca84c7beb91df979a93ec24d30f (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by LUIZA DE MENEZES ROMANETTO (luizamenezes@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2017-10-30T17:34:29Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 bernardo_pm_me_bot.pdf: 4224440 bytes, checksum: c7b74ca84c7beb91df979a93ec24d30f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-30T17:34:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 bernardo_pm_me_bot.pdf: 4224440 bytes, checksum: c7b74ca84c7beb91df979a93ec24d30f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-08-30 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Para o planejamento dos recursos naturais e avaliação de uma determinada área, é imprescindível analisar e identificar a bacia hidrográfica. O sensoriamento remoto e procedimentos modernos para obter-se imagens, referentes aos novos sistemas de informações geográficas (SIGs), auxiliam na aquisição de diversos tipos de dados. Foram determinadas as áreas que favorecem a conexão entre os fragmentos florestais, com o objetivo de realizar análise de paisagem na sub-bacia do Rio Araquá. Caracterizar o uso e cobertura atual do solo na bacia, por meio de técnicas de sensoriamento remoto, chamada de classificação supervisionada por máxima verossimilhança. Depois, com o auxílio do SIG, foi feita a análise multicriterial com o Método da Combinação Linear Ponderada, determinando os critérios (fatores e restrições) e os pesos dos fatores. A área de estudo foi descrita, assim como o material cartográfico e os dados orbitais. Foram gerados mapas de rede de drenagem, de uso e cobertura do solo, declividade, solos, potencial de infiltração, AVA, fragmentos florestais, classificação da paisagem no programa ArcGis e análise multicriterial no Idrisi Selva. Por último, foi gerado o mapa de conexão florestal, em que notou-se que as áreas mais críticas estão próximas à cobertura florestal, onde as conexões de fragmentos são afetadas por ocupação antrópica e pela agricultura, que cresce a cada ano. Para a recuperação dessas áreas, os agentes ambientais devem realizar planejamentos, apoiando-se em uma metodologia que contempla toda a paisagem e ecossistemas, priorizando a conexão entre os fragmentos florestais e perturbações que ocorrem neste ambiente da área de estudo. / River River basin analysis and identification are extremely important to natural resources planning and evaluation of a given area. Remote sensing and modern procedures to capture images corresponding to the new geographic information systems (GIS) assist the acquisition of different types of data. In this study, regions that favor the connection of forest fragments were delimited to perform the landscape evaluation of Araquá river sub-basin. Current land use and cover were characterized using supervised maximum likelihood classification of remotely sensed images. Then GIS-based approach to multi-criteria evaluation was performed with a Weighted Linear Combination Method to determine the conditions (factors and restrictions) and factor weights. The studied area was described as well as the cartographic material and the orbital data. Maps for drainage network, land use/cover, declivity, soil, infiltration capacity, area of variable inflow, forest fragments and landscape classification were generated using ArcGis software and the multi-criteria analysis was performed with Idrisi Selva software. Finally, a map for forest connection was established, which revealed that the most critical areas are near to forest cover where the connection between fragments are affected by anthropic occupation and agriculture. To recover these areas, environmental managers must create strategies based on a methodology that contemplates the entire landscape and ecosystems, prioritizing the connection between forest fragments and the existing disruptions in the studied area. / CNPQ: 133282/2015-5

As aves de rapina, assim como os outros grupos animais, não estão distribuídas de maneira uniforme nos diferentes hábitats que compõem a paisagem terrestre. Conhecer e entender os fatores (e as implicações) que levam as espécies a escolher um determinado hábitat é questão essencial nos estudos de ecologia. Esse tema ganha ainda mais importância não só pela escassez de informações sobre a ecologia e história natural das aves de rapina na região Neotropical, mas também, pelo atual cenário de alteração dos hábitats. Estes são modificados rapidamente sem que haja um conhecimento básico da relação espécie/hábitat e dos efeitos provocadas por tais alterações. Dessa maneira, a presente tese teve como objetivo principal verificar o uso e a seleção de hábitat por aves de rapina diurnas em uma paisagem heterogênea (151. 866 ha) na região central do Estado de São Paulo (22° 15&#8242; S; 47° 49&#8242; W), onde a Estação Ecológica de Itirapina (EEI) foi considerada como área núcleo. Ainda, foi também alvo desse estudo estimar a área de vida de três espécies de rapineiros (Falco femoralis, Rupornis magnirostris e Heterospizias meridionalis) por meio de rádio-telemetria; verificar a eficiência de captura das aves de rapina frente a dois tipos de armadilhas, bal-chatri e goshawk; e elaborar um mapa de uso/ocupação do solo da área em questão, bem como analisar a paisagem no entorno da EEI. Entre setembro de 2005 e fevereiro de 2007 foram registradas 19 espécies de Falconiformes (Pandionidae n =1, Falconidae n = 5, Accipitridae n = 13) em uma paisagem essencialmente ocupada por monoculturas (cana-de-açúcar 22 %, laranja 14 %, eucalipto 13 %) e pastagens (21%). A riqueza média dos Falconiformes em áreas de monoculturas foi de 4,6 espécies e nas áreas naturais 10,3. A composição de espécies da taxocenose se mostrou mais relacionada às outras de área abertas sob influência do Cerrado. Um total de 48 indivíduos, pertencentes a cinco espécies, foram capturados pelos dois tipos de armadilhas. O sucesso de captura geral foi de 15,3 % (n = 33) para a armadilha bal-chatri e de 1 captura a cada 11,8 dias (8,5 %) para goshawk trap (n = 15). Implicações e limitações referentes à captura das aves de rapinas em áreas abertas foram também discutidas. A média da área de vida pelo método Kernel adaptativo (KA) 95 % foi de 1.329 ± 780 ha para F. femoralis, 129 ± 140 ha para R. magnirostris e de 1.883 ha para o indivíduo de H. meridionalis. A média da área de vida de F. femoralis foi 2,8 maior em áreas alteradas quando comparada a áreas naturais. De maneira geral, a qualidade do hábitat parece ter influenciado nos diferentes valores de requerimento de área apresentado pelos indivíduos e, também, na seleção/rejeição dos diferentes hábitats. Na maioria dos casos, as monoculturas foram rejeitadas, enquanto as áreas naturais foram selecionadas pelas aves de rapina. Cana-de-açúcar foi rejeitada por todas as aves de rapina. O único ambiente alterado utilizado em maior proporção que o esperado foi pastagem, selecionada por quatro das 10 espécies analisadas. Em contrapartida, três espécies evitaram este hábitat. Este é o primeiro estudo a avaliar a seleção de hábitat por Falconiformes no Brasil e demonstra que o intensivo incremento de áreas para agricultura pode afetar negativamente até mesmo as espécies mais abundantes e generalistas, contrário a algumas generalizações da literatura. A interação entre estrutura do hábitat, disponibilidade de presas, morfologia e comportamento de caça parece explicar tanto o tamanho da área de vida requerida quanto a utilização diferenciada dos diferentes tipos de hábitats. / Raptors, similarly to other animal groups, are not randomly distributed in the different habitats in the terrestrial landscape. Knowing and understanding the factors (and implications) influencing these species to chose a certain habitat are essential in ecological studies. This subject has become even more important not only because of the lack of information on the ecology and natural history of raptors of the Neotropics, but also because of current scenario of habitat changes. Areas are being rapidly modified without a basic knowledge of the species/habitat relationship and the effects it may cause. Thus, the main goal of this thesis was to examine habitat use and selection by diurnal birds of prey in a heterogeneous landscape (151. 866 ha) in the central region of state of São Paulo (22° 15&#8242; S; 47° 49&#8242; W), where the Estação Ecológica de Itirapina (EEI) was considered the central area. Also, this study aimed at estimating the home range size of three raptor species (Falco femoralis, Rupornis magnirostris and Heterospizias meridionalis) through radio-telemetry; examining the efficiency of capture of birds of prey using two types of traps, bal-chatri and goshawk; and mapping land use/occupation of the study area and making the landscape analysis around the EEI. Between September 2005 and February 2007, 19 species of Falconiformes (Pandionidae n = 1, Falconidae n = 5, Accipitridae n = 13) were observed in a landscape basically occupied by monocultures (sugar cane 22 %, orange 14 %, eucalyptus 13 %) and pastures (2 1%). The average richness of Falconiformes in areas occupied by a monoculture was 4,6 species and 10,3 in natural areas. The species composition of the assemblage was more similar to those of other open areas influenced by Cerrado. Forty-eight individuals from five species were captured in the two types of traps. The general capture success was 15.3 % (n = 33) for the bal-chatri trap and 1 capture every 11,8 days (8,5 %) for the goshawk trap (n = 15). Implications and limitations of the capture of birds of preys in the areas were also discussed. The average home range obtained with the 95 % adaptive Kernel method (AK 95%) was 1.329 ± 780 ha for F. femoralis, 129 ± 140 ha for R. magnirostris and 1.883 ha for the individual of H. meridionalis. The average home range of F. femoralis was 2.8 higher in altered areas when compared to natural ones. In general, habitat quality seems to have influenced the different values of home range requirement of individuals, and also, in the selection/rejection of the different habitats. In most cases, monocultures were rejected, while natural areas were selected by raptors. Sugar cane plantations were rejected by all raptors. The only altered habitat used more than expected was pastures, selected by four of ten species analyzed. However, three species avoided this habitat. This is the first study to evaluate habitat selection by Falconiformes in Brazil and demonstrate that the increase of areas for agriculture may negatively affect even the most abundant and generalist species, contrary to some generalizations described in the literature. The interaction among the habitat structure, prey availability, morphology and hunting behavior seems to explain home range size requirements as well as the differential use of the various types of habitats.

Submitted by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-04-12T12:11:16Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Tássia Andrielle Ponciano - 2017.pdf: 4132236 bytes, checksum: a03360d4ac30e9053e4834beac2d2830 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-04-12T12:11:41Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Tássia Andrielle Ponciano - 2017.pdf: 4132236 bytes, checksum: a03360d4ac30e9053e4834beac2d2830 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-04-12T12:11:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Tássia Andrielle Ponciano - 2017.pdf: 4132236 bytes, checksum: a03360d4ac30e9053e4834beac2d2830 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-16 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The region of Vão do Paranã, inserted in the northeast (2000), is one of the three main centers of endemism in the Cerrado and goes through a process of fragmentation, which determines the ratings of potential and environmental vulnerabilities to promote appropriate policies of occupation. The study proposed here has as reference the integrated analysis of the landscape using the morphopedological compartments, to evaluate the dynamics of landscape structure in the microregion of Vão do Paranã. The methodology was based on the interpretation of Landsat images for temporal analysis (1984-2015) the use and soil coverage, with analysis of landscape structure through metrics and evaluation of morphopedological compartments. The results indicate that the characteristics associated morphopedological compartments the dynamics of occupation of the region respond by different forms of occupation of this area and the way it is structured the landscape in the region. Along the evolution of the use, the remaining vegetation concentrated in the eastern portion, coinciding with areas of emphasis more bustling, where currently the UC's; in the western portion, where the areas are more flat, there is a higher concentration of anthropic uses and high levels of fragmentation of the landscape. Although the agricultural expansion process has not yet strengthened in the region, the remaining areas were converted to 8.44% in anthropic areas, the pasture aptitude is present, however the agricultural areas have been growing exponentially in all compartments. The compartments favored, by relief, for anthropic occupation correspond to CMP I and III. The other compartments are indicated for the maintenance of environmental conservation. / A região do Vão do Paranã, inserida no nordeste goiano, é um dos três principais centros de endemismo do Cerrado e passa por um processo intenso de fragmentação, o que condiciona a avaliações de potencialidades e vulnerabilidades socioambientais que favoreçam políticas adequadas de ocupação. O estudo aqui proposto tem como referência a análise integrada da paisagem utilizando a morfocompartimentação, para avaliar a dinâmica da estrutura da paisagem na microrregião do Vão do Paranã. A metodologia fundamentou-se na interpretação de imagens Landsat para análise temporal (1984-2015) do uso e cobertura do solo, com análise de estrutura da paisagem por meio de métricas e avaliação dos compartimentos morfopedológicos. Os resultados indicam, que as características morfopedológicas associadas à dinâmica de ocupação da região respondem pelas diferentes formas de ocupação desta área e pela forma a qual está estruturada a paisagem na região. Ao longo da evolução do uso, a vegetação remanescente concentra se na porção leste, coincidindo com áreas de relevo mais movimentado, onde atualmente se encontram as UC´s; na porção oeste, onde as áreas são mais planas, há maior concentração dos usos antrópicos e elevados níveis de fragmentação da paisagem. Apesar do processo de expansão agrícola ainda não ter se fortalecido na região, as áreas de remanescente foram convertidas em 8,44% em áreas antropizadas, a aptidão para pastagem é presente, contudo as áreas de agricultura vêm crescendo exponencialmente em todos os compartimentos. Os compartimentos favorecidos, pelo relevo, para ocupação antrópica correspondem aos CMP I e III. Os demais compartimentos são indicados para manutenção da conservação ambiental.

In recent decades expanding land-use change has caused extensive deforestation of the tropical rainforestinducing large-scale transformation of the landscape patterns across the South American continent. Landscapechange is a modification process of the natural forest cover into fragments which generate various ecologicalimpacts. Habitat loss is identified to be a major threat to biodiversity, as it exposes species to the risk ofextinction. This study investigates 80 locations within tropical rainforest biomes to examine the landscape changewhich has occurred from 1993 – 2014. The intention is to identify the impacts of landscape fragmentation onhummingbird species diversity by spatial landscape analysis in GIS and regression modeling. The analysis foundthat there is no relationship between deforestation and reduction of hummingbird diversity. The results indicatethat hummingbird species are not particularly sensitive to landscape change as they have high resilience in regardto forest fragmentation. A potential threshold value of deforestation degree could be identified, up to whichhummingbird species richness increased, but locations subjected to over 40% fragmentation were estimated tohave lower hummingbird diversity. However, by using the spatial explicit biological data, the analysis indicatethat an extinction debt may exist in the landscape, and that future extinctions may be expected to occur in thefollowing decades as consequence of deforestation. Other factors may be as important determining variables forspecies richness: the spatial scale of the study, the habitat connectivity, hummingbird generalist tendencies.Conclusively, identification of the key factors of deforestation impacts on species diversity is essential for futureefficiency in conservation planning and sustainability of the tropical rainforest biodiversity.

This thesis uses GIS and spatial analysis to study connections in the archaeological landscape of the Morello Valley, in the Enna province in Sicily (Italy). To identify potential social relations, the idea of social networks is adapted into the spatial network analysis. The spatiality of 42 sites with archaeological layers from Mid-to Late Neolithic until Medieval times are explored by looking at intervisibility, movement and accessibility. A historical map is used to reconstruct hydrology, and spatial data is accessed to include ancient paths and sulphur resources. Phenomenological methods are also used to describe the landscape and applied in GIS and spatial analysis to explore how people may have related to their environment. Local and external contacts in Sicily throughout history are reflected upon through different time scales to give context to the spatial network analysis of the Morello Valley. Furthermore, links between people and landscape are also contemplated through the notion of affordances. Throughout the thesis, the methodology of spatial analyses is being assessed. The aim is to put emphasis on the practical process of analysing landscape and spatiality through networks, while at the same time analysing the connectedness of the Morello Valley.

No description available.

Landscape is a heterogeneous collection of visibly distinct features of various elements of land and its various forms on the earth surface. Its pattern is subjected to disturbances and undergo rapid alterations in its grain sizes. The evolving patterns of landscape define and decide various parameters for the planning and management of resources. These dynamic systems possess both spatial and temporal complexity. Exploitation of natural resources and drastic land cover changes have given rise to significant impacts on ecosystem structure and dynamics. The functional abilities (bio-geo chemical cycling, hydrological cycling, etc.) of the landscape are basically dependent on the structure and its complexity. This necessitates inventorying, mapping and modeling of landscape dynamics. Patterns and scale are central issues that are essential to understand complex interactions and driving forces. Large scale changes have been rapid and occurring since industrialization and urbanisation in the last century. The exponential growth of cities has been noticed since the industrial revolution and as transport sector changed the mobility of the masses drastically. Urbanisation interacts with the neighboring landscape structures in the form of commuter’s flow, pollution, obtaining food grain, which create dispersed growth or sprawl in between the metropolis and the semi urban area, and these areas are often devoid of basic amenities due to lack of prior information and necessitates predictions of such growth while planning, policy and decision-making. Planning determines appropriate future action through a sequence of choices that tend to occur. To understand uncertain conditions, planners and city managers need vital comprehensive information about the temporally evolving landscape and try to predict the future, for effective decisions. The quality of planning and its decision processes can be substantially improved when the required information is handled appropriately and efficiently. This explains that an effective planning requires descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive information inputs for sustainable resource management. Therefore, modeling future trends becomes a necessary part of planning. Urban growth models help in modelling future trends that can be an efficient and effective support tool. In recent years, the confluence of developments in Remote sensing, Geographic Information System and Image processing, Computational Urban Growth and Urban Land-use Modeling has made possible in timely provision of information inputs to planners. In the context of Indian cities, this research attempts to study the patterns of urban growth and the rate of change of that growth using various techniques such as Land use, land cover models, Gradient and zonal approach, spatial metrics and urban growth models. Indian cities are divided based on population into various categories. These categories were considered separately and dealt with sample number of cities. This works helps in understanding the change pattern of rapidly urbanising, moderately urbanising and rural landscape is accomplished using various metrics and gradients. The research, is mainly aimed at understanding the pattern of growth and device computational urban growth model using well known techniques and develop a suitable technique in order to understand the context of agents and their role in modelling future urban growth and estimate the rate of loss of other land use categories due to urban growth. Satellite images for different time series was used to study the pattern of urban growth in the study areas. Well know indicators were derived from the data. This was further used to model one of the rapidly urbanising cities based on scenario no agents/factor and with agents of growth using city development plans and in absence of it. This adaptation to Indian context will help in gaining better understanding of the urban growth system in various levels of cities classified, and thus help in providing inputs and specific information of future growth for urban planners and city managers to provide better basic amenities and for sustainable growth of cities. The objective of the proposed research is to understand and model the spatio temporal patterns of landscape dynamics. This involves i. Analysis of Landscape dynamics using multi-resolution (spatial, temporal and spectral) data. ii. Quantifying landscape dynamics using landscape metrics and associated landscape parameters. iii. Modeling and geo-visualisation of landscape dynamics in rapidly urbanizing, moderately urbanising and rural landscape using these parameters. iv. Model the landscape dynamics using soft computing techniques. The thesis consists of nine chapters. Chapter 1 introduces the basic concepts such as landscape, landscape dynamics, use of spatio-temporal data to monitor landscape dynamics, geo-visualisation of landscape dynamics, research gaps and motivation for taking up the research in this domain. Chapter 2 presents the study region, which are broadly grouped as (i) Rapidly urbanizing landscapes (corresponding to Tier I Cities in India), (ii) Moderately urbanizing landscapes (Tier II cities, chosen select Tier II cities in Karnataka), and (iii) Landscape experiencing minimal urbanisation (rural landscape). Chapter 3 discusses the material and method adopted for understanding landscape dynamics and geo-visualisation of landscape dynamics Chapter 4 presents the landscape dynamics in rapidly urbanizing landscape (Bangalore) in India. Spatial pattern analyses are done through metrics using zonal- gradient approach. Chapter 5 analyses the environmental sustainability aspects considering one case study of rapidly urbanizing landscape – Bangalore Chapter 6 discusses urbanisation process and patterns across macro cities in India. Similarly Chapter 7 discusses the urbanisation pattern in Tier II cities (in Karnataka) and Chapter 8 presents the rural landscape dynamics Geo-visualisation of a rapidly urbanizing landscape (Bangalore) through techniques such as Cellular Automata – Markov Chain, land change modeler (LCM), Geographical land use change modeler (GEOMOD), Markov Cellular automata based process of deriving agent’s behavior using Fuzziness in the dataset and Analytical Hierarchal process. Further research in progress in this domain focusses on integration of various agents and evaluation of proposed development plans and likely scenario of integrating land use with mobility. Keyword: landscape, landscape dynamics, urbanisation, urban growth, urban sprawl, urban footprint, modelling, geo-visualisation