The researchers studied how the environment affects the patterns of forests in Tianbaoyan Nature Reserve, China. They used satellite images, maps, and field data to analyze the relationship between landscape and environmental factors. The results showed that the relationship between landscape and environment changes depending on the scale of observation. Forests at different elevations and latitudes were influenced by different environmental factors, with bamboo groves and farmland found at lower elevations compared to moss and shrub forests at higher elevations. This suggests that the environment plays a significant role in shaping forest patterns, and this relationship varies depending on the scale of observation.