Essibility Models for Natural Resource Management

Accessibility is an important aspect in the evaluation of suitability of an area in the context of natural resource management or landscape ecology. In many geographic information software packages a distance function is included, but the creation of adequate accessibility models requires more than simple distance calculation and in practice is not that easy. A theoretical test area is used to demonstrate how different terrain variables will influence the results of the application of the distance function. With the understanding obtained that way, the approach is applied in a real case study area to illustrate its possibilities but also some difficulties and limitations that are still encountered.