J. Feranec

Inventory of major landscape changes in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovak Republic 1970s – 1990s

Abstract One of the most important achievements in 1998–1999 of Phare Topic Link on Land Cover has been the development and practical application of a methodological approach to landscape change identification and analysis in the territories of four Phare countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, and the Slovak Republic). The changes were identified on a national level from Landsat TM and MSS satellite images by application of the CORINE Land Cover databases for two time horizons (the late 1970s and early 1990s) at the second hierarchic level. Based on identified causality, the landscape changes were grouped into 7 types: intensification of agriculture, extensification of agriculture, urbanisation-industrialisation, enlargement (exhaustion) of natural resources, afforestation, deforestation and other anthropogenic causes. The results of the groupings are presented in the form of contingency tables and maps showing the spatial distribution of the changes. From the point of view of total extent, forest landscape changed the most in the Czech Republic. This change represents a reduction of forest by 167,702 ha and an enlargement of transitional woodland-scrub by about 26,339 ha. In Hungary the most pronounced changes were decrease of forests by 66,622 ha and decrease of arable land, orchards and vineyards by 21,529 ha. The most remarkable changes identified in Romania were decrease of arable land, forests and wetlands by 366,817 ha, 285,887 ha, and 59,967 ha, respectively, as well as enlargement of areas of complex cultivation pattern by almost 347,220 ha. The most pronounced changes in Slovakia were represented by diminution of forest by 94,935 ha and that of heterogeneous agricultural areas by 18,451 ha; enlargement of transitional woodland-scrub areas and urbanised area were about 13,107 ha and 14,990 ha, respectively.

European Landscape Dynamics: CORINE Land Cover Data

Four unique pan-European CORINE Land Cover datasetsCLC1990, CLC2000, CLC2006, and CLC2012 and three datasets concerning changes between 1990 and 2012 have presented the first-ever opportunity to observe the European landscape by means of land cover and its change. This book brings together all these datasets to demonstrate the methods of identification, analysis and assessment of the European land cover and its changes that took place during the intervals of 19902000, 20002006, and 20062012. It provides examples in which CLC data plays a role in offering solutions to European environmental problems such as the monitoring of urban dynamics, land fragmentation, ecosystems mapping and assessment, and high nature value farmland characteristics. Existing environmental problems require new approaches, and European Landscape Dynamics: CORINE Land Cover Data indicates a set of outlooks for CLC data generation that produce more detailed levels of analysis and bottom-up approaches while addressing the relationship of CLC data to the Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe (INSPIRE). It also discusses the future of CLC data generation. A valuable resource of up-to-date information, it is useful to professionals such as scientists, territorial planners, and environmentalists as well as students of geosciences and all those who are interested in cognition of the European landscape, its changes and development.

Interpretation element “association”: analysis and definition

Abstract This paper documents and evaluates some published definitions of the interpretation element “association”, and also proposes a new definition. As used by the cited authors and in the sense of the proposed definition, the interpretation element association expresses a characteristic arrangement of textures, spatial relationships of landscape objects (represented by textures in images) and the joining of textures into corresponding classes.

Cartographic Aspects of Land Cover Change Detection (Over- and Underestimation in the I&CORINE Land Cover 2000 Project)

Abstract This paper presents the results of analysis of the data obtained by the method of computer-aided visual interpretation of satellite images used for identification of changes in land cover within the framework of the Image and CORINE Land Cover 2000 (I&CLC2000) Project (jointly managed by the European Environment Agency in Copenhagen, Denmark and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission in Ispra, Italy). These data are also relevant in cartography. Land cover changes identified by the method mentioned may contain mistakes caused by over- or underestimation. The paper describes these mistakes. Overestimation (technical change) of the extent of land cover change is caused by adding the residual polygons (smaller than 25 ha) to neighbouring polygons. Underestimation is caused by the fact that discernible changes concerning areas larger than 5 ha which showed up in objects with areas smaller than 25 ha were not identified and, consequently, not included in either CLC90 or CLC2000 data layers; e.g. Dutch CLC_change database users accuracy indicates an overestimation of 8.8% whereas the comparison of net change indicates a small, insignificant underestimation. In spite of the problems referred to, caused by overestimation or underestimation, the datasets on land cover changes in Europe for the 1990s and the year 2000 (± one year) can also be used for the compilation of land cover change maps at the regional, national and European levels.

Landscape change analysis and assessment (case studies in Slovakia and Bulgaria)

Landscape change assessment was conducted in selected areas of Slovakia and Bulgaria in 1990–2000 using CORINE land cover (CLC) data layer analysis. Assessment of causes that led to these changes was undertaken, with an emphasis on those that determined the extensification of agriculture. The LC data were obtained under the CLC90 and I&CLC2000 projects, jointly managed by the European Environment Agency in Copenhagen, Denmark and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission in Ispra, Italy. The CLC1990-2000-changes data layer was generated by overlaying the CLC90 and CLC2000 data layers for change in areas of a minimum 5 ha. The analysed causes of changes (driving forces) were then classified. Land cover (LC) changes characterizing urbanization processes occurred only in the Trnava and Tatras areas. Intensification of agriculture was also higher in these two areas. LC changes characterizing the extensification of agriculture were dominant in Plovdiv and Trnava. Deforestation and forestation were identified in all areas (Trnava, Tatras, Plovdiv, and Burgas). The basic reasons of these changes were related to the transformation of national economies from being centrally planned to market controlled, following the fall of socialism and before the countries joined the European Union.

Map presentation of changes in Europe’s artificial surfaces for the periods 1990–2000 and 2000–2006

The landscapes of the world are constantly changing under the influence of human activities leading to the growth of artificial surfaces. The covering of soil by artificial surfaces is referred to as soil sealing. Aerial and satellite images or data derived from them (for instance CORINE land cover — CLC data used here) provide important information that makes it possible to assess the occurrence, area and rate of soil sealing. As the term sealed soil cannot be wholly identified with the content of the appropriate CLC classes, the term land cover flow urbanization (LCFU) will be used here. The essence of this study is the demonstration and documentation of the trends of the LCFU in Europe for the periods 1990–2000 and 2000–2006 on a single map. This may contribute to a better spatial awareness of the ongoing transformation of landscape under the effects of human activities in an pan-European context. Changes in the LCFU can be seen on a map, compiled from 3 × 3 km squares at an all-European scale, using colours and their hues, to fulfil the role both of identification and classification. The colour method employed makes it possible to perceive three groups of LCFU changes on two time horizons, that is, whether the rate of LCFU in 2000–2006 increased or remained the same (hues of red); or dropped compared to the 1990–2000 period (hues of light to dark blue). The third group represents the LCFU with rates higher or lower than the average (countries with changes recorded in only one time horizon are presented in dark and light magenta colours).

Land Cover and Land Use

Land use and land cover integrated with georelief characteristics, which can be derived from topographic maps or digital elevation models, provide the background for the study of the intensity of landscape processes, changes in the landscape, and identification of objects. The knowledge of land cover is imperative and indispensable in analyzing causes and effects in geomorphic evolution or in estimating human impact on the landscape. From a broader perspective, the maintenance of ecological stability is a primary aspect of decision making in the course of environmental planning.

Analysis and expert assessment of the semantic similarity between land cover classes

Products of CORINE Land Cover (CLC), the National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD), the FAO/UNEP Land Cover Classification System (LCCS), etc. currently provide an important source of information used for the assessment of issues such as landscape change, landscape fragmentation and the planning of urbanization. Assuming that the data from these various databases are often used in searching for solutions to environmental problems, it is necessary to know which classes of different databases exist and to what extent they are similar, i.e. their possible compatibility and interchangeability. An expert assessment of the similarity between the CLC and NLCD 1992 nomenclatures is presented. Such a similarity assessment in comparison with the ‘geometric model’, the ‘feature model’ and the ‘network model’ is not frequently used. The results obtained show the similarity of assessments completed by four experts who marked the degree of similarity between the compared land cover classes by 1 (almost similar classes), 0.5 (partially similar classes) and 0 (not similar classes). Four experts agreed on assigning 1 in only three cases; 0.5 was given 33 times. A single expert assigned 0.5 a total of 17 times. Results confirmed that the CLC and NLCD nomenclatures are not very similar.

Aesthetics of the CORINE Land Cover Maps

After 1985, when works on the CORINE land cover started, maps that represented land cover at scales 1:100 000, 1:250 000, 1:500 000 and smaller in several European countries were produced. The subject of this paper is the comparison of the appearance and partially functionality of these maps i.e. mediation of information to user, for instance about size and land cover class frequency. Aesthetics of land cover maps issued in several West European countries (such as Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg or Spain) is based on the principal mean of expression (the graphic variable) that is to say colour and its hues, number of which is rather elevated (in some cases more than 40). On the other side, aesthetics of maps issued in Slovakia is based on a smaller number of colours and a higher number of colour patterns. Both groups of maps though, boast similar artistic/aesthetic qualities, as the comparison of their fragments with those of Pierre Auguste Renoire’s painting suggests. Authors believe that the artistic and technical elements and aspects of a map should be in harmony in order to sup-port and enrich its practical functions.