Determining the regional context for landscape planning

To be successful, landscape planners must understand the nature and characteristics of the regions in which they work. Various definitions of regions are reviewed. Regional structure and complexity are compared. Theoretical techniques in human ecology are presented as a framework to integrate regional processes. Watersheds are identified as a useful, common unit of spatial organization delimiting regions. Several hierarchical systems for classifying components of regions are discussed, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's system for classification of wetlands and deepwater habitats, the U.S. Geological Survey's system for classifying land use and land cover, and environmentally sensitive areas of classification. Bivariate relationships and layer-cake simulation models are identified as two means used to establish interrelationships between the structural components or phenomena of regions.