In landscape ecology, the juxtaposition of different land uses is called a mosaic. Landscape mosaics can be understood in terms of their spatial complexity and the diversity of life they underpin. As cities grow and fragment formerly intact landscapes, reducing their connectivity, understanding ecological patterns and processes has become critical to effective biodiversity conservation. With climate change, it is even more significant. As biomes shift in a warmer world, flora and fauna may adapt, evolutionarily, or migrate to places that resemble their former territories. However, land use often poses barriers to migration. In this context, strategically oriented land conservation at the landscape scale can be vital to species success. A well-designed conservation strategy begets the resultant open space network: a park system.
