Ewa Malinowska

Application of landscape metrics in the evaluation of geodiversity

Abstract The purpose of this study is to present opportunities for using landscape metrics to evaluate geodiversity on individual landscape levels. The research area is located to the west of the Płock Urban and Industrial Agglomeration in Poland. Within this area, hierarchically organized regional units were delimited (Richling, Malinowska, Szumacher 2013). The area is divided into 87 first-level regions, 36 second-level regions and 9 third-level regions. The units have been treated as basic fields for geodiversity analysis purposes using selected landscape measures and metrics, to include area, density, size, edges and diversity (among others, Shannon’s Diversity Index (SDI), Shannon’s Evenness Index (SEI), domination (D) and redundancy (R)) generated in Patch Analyst v. 5, Fragstats v. 4.0, ArcGIS v.10 and Statistica v. 10 software.

Delimitation of landscape units treated as estimation fields in the modelling of a landscape system

Abstract The main objective of this paper is to represent the hierarchical structure of an environment by using two concepts: typology and regionalization. The Płock Region (1,766.95 sq. km) and transect crossing this area (796.2 sq. km) is the research location. It was divided into 710 individual landscape units (319 in the transect border). The existing physical-geographical regionalization, including macro-, meso- and micro-regions, was elaborated using a deductive (top-down) method, which was supplemented by a more detailed regionalization, obtained by an inductive (bottom-up) method called analysis of borders (Richling 1976). The study area was divided into more detailed sub-regions: first-level regions (87 units), second-level regions (36 units) and third-level regions (9 units). In fact, the landscape structure of third-level regions is similar to micro-regions. This is proof of the complementary nature of the two approaches – deductive and inductive regionalization, and the hierarchical landscape structure.

Application of the catena concept in studies of landscape system dynamics

Abstract The concept of catena in landscape surveys is used to demonstrate the surroundings of landscape units, their vertical structure and inter-unit processes, as well as the mosaic nature of the landscape. Furthermore, it reflects the structural and functional heterogeneity of the surveyed area, at the same time indicating types of links between landscape units, depending on a variety of geological, habitat-related and biotic conditions, including land use and its transformation arising from anthropopressure. The catena survey performed included four key morphological and lithological units with varied landscape structure and functioning: glacial upland, vast outwash plains, the Wisła River valley and deepened channel valleys, as well as dune hills and hillocks. The results prove that the functioning of landscape systems depends on the forms of land use and their durability. Characteristics of leading components in catenas are diverse despite a similar genesis of landforms and relief shaping processes.