Landscape structural complexity influences the global distribution of ecosystems and people

Abstract

The three-dimensional structure of land- and seascapes links biotic and abiotic processes to shape how organisms use their environments. Much effort has been dedicated to understanding this relationship between structural complexity and biodiversity. However, tailored, system-specific approaches to quantifying structural complexity preclude cross-system comparisons. Expanding a geometric framework developed for quantifying the structural complexity of local-scale surface environments, we generate high-resolution, global maps of the key complexity measures of height range, rugosity, and fractal dimension. We illustrate how patterns in these complexity attributes correspond with the distribution of ecosystems, land cover types, and the presence of people across the globe. Using geometric tools to understand how structural complexity is associated with the arrangement of natural and socio-ecosystems, we can better predict their responses to ongoing global change.