Landscape structure in the Eastern US experienced great changes in the last century with the expansion of forest cover into abandoned agricultural land and clearance of forest cover for urban development. Quantifying the changes in forest cover is a prerequisite to understanding the potential effects of those changes on ecological processes. In this paper, the spatial and temporal patterns of forest cover from 1914 to 2004 in the Gwynns Falls watershed in Baltimore, Maryland were quantified from historical forest maps and aerial photographs.

Land development practices result in compacted soils that filter less water, increase surface runoff and decrease groundwater infiltration. However, until now, there has been relatively little study of how hydrologic properties of lawns differ according to residential character such as year built or percent canopy cover. This study examines how soil infiltration rates and water retention properties of residential lawns differ according to social and physical factors that are readily attainable from national data sources.

Urban ecology is evolving as the scientific base grows and new concerns of urban partners emerge. In the Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES), both of these drivers are at work.

Aquatic systems in urban areas may receive enhanced nutrient inputs from the surrounding landscape. The landscape structure within watersheds is hypothesized to influence nitrogen flux into aquatic systems. In urban areas, impervious surfaces and vegetation may be the structural elements which control these inputs. It has been hypothesized that increased impervious surface cover increases discharge to urban streams, which may be correlated with increased nitrogen flux. On the other hand, vegetation slows water flow and retains nutrients on the landscape.

Appropriate quantification of the spatial distribution of lead (Pb) in urban soils requires an understanding of the influence that individual landscape features have on soil Pb concentrations as well as the importance of the larger landscape context. In order to examine patterns of residential soil Pb concentrations we employed a sampling scheme that addressed both landscape context and individual landscape features predicted to affect Pb retention. The larger landscape context was considered by examining the distance to major road networks and housing age.