Pub Date : 2022-12-01DOI: 10.2478/jlecol-2022-0019
V. Sharma, Swagata Ghosh, Maya Kumari, A. Taloor, Sultan Singh, A. Arola, P. Devara
Abstract Aerosol monitoring is the emerging application field of satellite remote sensing. As a satellite-based indicator of aerosol concentration, aerosol optical depth (AOD) can aid in assessing the crucial effects of aerosols on the global environment. Among various satellite-based aerosol product, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Collection 6 (C6), Multiangle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) aerosol product (1 km resolution) has still untapped potential in Indian regions. Considering the importance of regional validation of such high-resolution aerosol product, the present study attempts to fill this gap by validating MAIAC aerosol estimates (AODMAIAC) in highly polluted districts (Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Gurugram) of National Capital Region (NCR) with heavy aerosol loading using limited AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) observations obtained from AERONET sites at Amity University (AU) and Gual Pahari (GP). Such evaluation of satellite-retrieved aerosol product with ground data confirms its practicality based on retrieval errors (Expected Error (EE) values (EE = 0.05 + 15 %*AOD) (EE: 78.85 % at AU, 73.58 % at GP), root mean square error (RMSE) values (RMSE: 0.15 at AU, 0.24 at GP), and correlation coefficient (R) values (R: 0.86 at AU, 0.73 at GP). The seasonal variation in AOD over the study area from 2010-2019 reveals increasing trend of AOD in the monsoon and post-monsoon season due to natural and anthropogenic factors. In addition to contributing to a holistic assessment of MAIAC aerosol estimates as a recent, high-resolution aerosol product, present results provide a basis for further research into NCR aerosols.
{"title":"Analysis and Variation of the Maiac Aerosol Optical Depth in Underexplored Urbanized Area of National Capital Region, India","authors":"V. Sharma, Swagata Ghosh, Maya Kumari, A. Taloor, Sultan Singh, A. Arola, P. Devara","doi":"10.2478/jlecol-2022-0019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/jlecol-2022-0019","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Aerosol monitoring is the emerging application field of satellite remote sensing. As a satellite-based indicator of aerosol concentration, aerosol optical depth (AOD) can aid in assessing the crucial effects of aerosols on the global environment. Among various satellite-based aerosol product, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Collection 6 (C6), Multiangle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) aerosol product (1 km resolution) has still untapped potential in Indian regions. Considering the importance of regional validation of such high-resolution aerosol product, the present study attempts to fill this gap by validating MAIAC aerosol estimates (AODMAIAC) in highly polluted districts (Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Gurugram) of National Capital Region (NCR) with heavy aerosol loading using limited AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) observations obtained from AERONET sites at Amity University (AU) and Gual Pahari (GP). Such evaluation of satellite-retrieved aerosol product with ground data confirms its practicality based on retrieval errors (Expected Error (EE) values (EE = 0.05 + 15 %*AOD) (EE: 78.85 % at AU, 73.58 % at GP), root mean square error (RMSE) values (RMSE: 0.15 at AU, 0.24 at GP), and correlation coefficient (R) values (R: 0.86 at AU, 0.73 at GP). The seasonal variation in AOD over the study area from 2010-2019 reveals increasing trend of AOD in the monsoon and post-monsoon season due to natural and anthropogenic factors. In addition to contributing to a holistic assessment of MAIAC aerosol estimates as a recent, high-resolution aerosol product, present results provide a basis for further research into NCR aerosols.","PeriodicalId":37671,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Landscape Ecology(Czech Republic)","volume":"15 1","pages":"82 - 101"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48441982","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-12-01DOI: 10.2478/jlecol-2022-0018
B. Jelínek, L. Úradníček, T. Slach
Abstract In the 1970s and 1980s, the concept of ecological networks was developed in the Czech Republic. The first biocorridors were established on arable land in the beginning of the 1990s. One of them was the Vracov biocorridor. This paper deals with the growth and development of trees on two permanent research plots in the period from 1993–2021. In the biocorridor, repeated inventories of woody plants and monitoring of biometrical parameters of trees and shrubs were carried out. The number of woody plants has been decreasing as the level of stand canopy has increased. Moreover, mean heights and diameters of skeleton (Quercus robur, Tilia cordata) and filling (Acer campestre, Prunus avium) trees and shrubs (Cornus sanguinea, Ligustrum ovalifolium) were compared. Under the given conditions, the growth of these tree species can be positively evaluated.
{"title":"Thirty Years of Growth of Woody Plants in a Biocorridor Established on Agricultural Land: Case Study From Vracov (Czech Republic)","authors":"B. Jelínek, L. Úradníček, T. Slach","doi":"10.2478/jlecol-2022-0018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/jlecol-2022-0018","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In the 1970s and 1980s, the concept of ecological networks was developed in the Czech Republic. The first biocorridors were established on arable land in the beginning of the 1990s. One of them was the Vracov biocorridor. This paper deals with the growth and development of trees on two permanent research plots in the period from 1993–2021. In the biocorridor, repeated inventories of woody plants and monitoring of biometrical parameters of trees and shrubs were carried out. The number of woody plants has been decreasing as the level of stand canopy has increased. Moreover, mean heights and diameters of skeleton (Quercus robur, Tilia cordata) and filling (Acer campestre, Prunus avium) trees and shrubs (Cornus sanguinea, Ligustrum ovalifolium) were compared. Under the given conditions, the growth of these tree species can be positively evaluated.","PeriodicalId":37671,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Landscape Ecology(Czech Republic)","volume":"15 1","pages":"54 - 81"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44554281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-12-01DOI: 10.2478/jlecol-2022-0017
A. S. Serhii, V. Vyshnevskyi, P. Olena
Abstract The usage of remote sensing data for tracking or monitoring war conflicts is a reality nowadays. The Russian invasion in Ukraine seriously impacted on the environment of the attacked country in all areas: air, soil, water, flora and fauna. The war has created a massive increase in air pollution in some regions of Ukraine, and might have effect in neighbouring countries. The Russian attack has caused many fires at places such as oil depots, industrial complexes, equipment and ammunition stockpiles, the forests, and residential areas. In addition to this, many bridges, hydraulic and other structures located over and near the water bodies were destroyed. These events were analysed in this paper by using publicly available remote sensing data: NOAA-2, Suomi NPP, Aqua and Terra satellites, Sentinel and Landsat satellites, as well as from other sources open to public. We assume that the use of remote sensing data is an excellent tool to monitor effects of military conflicts on environment. The conducted research with proposed method can serve as a good scientific practice that should be implemented for monitoring of the harm to nature caused by wars.
{"title":"The Use of Remote Sensing Data for Investigation of Environmental Consequences of Russia-Ukraine War","authors":"A. S. Serhii, V. Vyshnevskyi, P. Olena","doi":"10.2478/jlecol-2022-0017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/jlecol-2022-0017","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The usage of remote sensing data for tracking or monitoring war conflicts is a reality nowadays. The Russian invasion in Ukraine seriously impacted on the environment of the attacked country in all areas: air, soil, water, flora and fauna. The war has created a massive increase in air pollution in some regions of Ukraine, and might have effect in neighbouring countries. The Russian attack has caused many fires at places such as oil depots, industrial complexes, equipment and ammunition stockpiles, the forests, and residential areas. In addition to this, many bridges, hydraulic and other structures located over and near the water bodies were destroyed. These events were analysed in this paper by using publicly available remote sensing data: NOAA-2, Suomi NPP, Aqua and Terra satellites, Sentinel and Landsat satellites, as well as from other sources open to public. We assume that the use of remote sensing data is an excellent tool to monitor effects of military conflicts on environment. The conducted research with proposed method can serve as a good scientific practice that should be implemented for monitoring of the harm to nature caused by wars.","PeriodicalId":37671,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Landscape Ecology(Czech Republic)","volume":"15 1","pages":"36 - 53"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46302990","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-12-01DOI: 10.2478/jlecol-2022-0020
M. Sridhar, R. Sathyanathan
Abstract Cities are spatially expanding rapidly, leading to urban sprawl. This study aims to understand the nature of the urban expansion of Chennai city, located on India’s southeastern coast, by determining the urban growth pattern and identifying the urban sprawl areas. The urban growth pattern and sprawl areas between 1998 and 2019 are identified using remote sensing data through the delineation of the Urban Core Boundary (UCB). The urban areas were extracted from the Land Use Land Cover (LULC) classification using combined classification technique to delineate the UCB. All the findings were validated using ground truth information. LULC classification performed with an accuracy of more than 90 % for urban land cover revealed an increase in urban cover by 71.77% from 1998 to 2009 and 36.91 % from 2009 to 2019. The delineated UCB’s peripheral distance was measured from the city centre in an anticlockwise direction from 0˚ to 360˚ at every 10˚ interval. It is observed that the urban core boundary expanded to a maximum of 16.02 km along 240˚ and 11.93 km along 220˚ from the city centre, and the lands in the vicinity of the National Highway (NH 32), which is situated between these sectors, experienced maximum urban development. The study also pinpointed the sprawl areas during the study period, revealing that the urban sprawl occurs along the highways, around designated special economic zones, and industrial corridors.
{"title":"Assessment of Urban Expansion and Identification of Sprawl Through Delineation of Urban Core Boundary","authors":"M. Sridhar, R. Sathyanathan","doi":"10.2478/jlecol-2022-0020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/jlecol-2022-0020","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Cities are spatially expanding rapidly, leading to urban sprawl. This study aims to understand the nature of the urban expansion of Chennai city, located on India’s southeastern coast, by determining the urban growth pattern and identifying the urban sprawl areas. The urban growth pattern and sprawl areas between 1998 and 2019 are identified using remote sensing data through the delineation of the Urban Core Boundary (UCB). The urban areas were extracted from the Land Use Land Cover (LULC) classification using combined classification technique to delineate the UCB. All the findings were validated using ground truth information. LULC classification performed with an accuracy of more than 90 % for urban land cover revealed an increase in urban cover by 71.77% from 1998 to 2009 and 36.91 % from 2009 to 2019. The delineated UCB’s peripheral distance was measured from the city centre in an anticlockwise direction from 0˚ to 360˚ at every 10˚ interval. It is observed that the urban core boundary expanded to a maximum of 16.02 km along 240˚ and 11.93 km along 220˚ from the city centre, and the lands in the vicinity of the National Highway (NH 32), which is situated between these sectors, experienced maximum urban development. The study also pinpointed the sprawl areas during the study period, revealing that the urban sprawl occurs along the highways, around designated special economic zones, and industrial corridors.","PeriodicalId":37671,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Landscape Ecology(Czech Republic)","volume":"15 1","pages":"102 - 120"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46677897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-12-01DOI: 10.2478/jlecol-2022-0016
Suman Sinha
Abstract Information related to land use and land cover is an inevitable prerequisite for formulating any decision making for land information system. The easiest and most effective way to gather such information is via using Earth observation satellites supported by ground data. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), due to its additional unique intrinsic characteristics is favoured over the optical systems for procuring land information. An innovative and effective technique for land feature detection is the use of polarimetric capabilities of SAR. Generally applicable for quad polarized data, this study investigates the polarimetric capabilities of a dual polarized data obtained from ALOS PALSAR, which is not a general notion. The approach applied in the study shows accurate results for detection of land features using polarimetric decomposition of dual polarized ALOS PALSAR data over an area of Munger in the state of Bihar, India. Twelve distinct land cover features are identified in the study area using this approach. The polarimetric products are also investigated for deriving the biomass information for the vegetation cover in the study area. The relation between in-situ biomass generated from floral species-specific volumetric equations and SAR polarimetric products showed a moderate correlation of 0.56 with RMSE=29.13 t/ha and data agreement of 0.62 based on exponential regression model for predicting biomass. The decomposition parameters revealed more evidences for forest structure and feature identification rather than biomass information. The method adopted in the study can be well utilized for land resource information and mapping; hence, natural and man-made resource monitoring and management.
{"title":"A Review of Land Cover Information using H/A/Α Polarimetric Decomposition of Dual Pol Sar Data","authors":"Suman Sinha","doi":"10.2478/jlecol-2022-0016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/jlecol-2022-0016","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Information related to land use and land cover is an inevitable prerequisite for formulating any decision making for land information system. The easiest and most effective way to gather such information is via using Earth observation satellites supported by ground data. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), due to its additional unique intrinsic characteristics is favoured over the optical systems for procuring land information. An innovative and effective technique for land feature detection is the use of polarimetric capabilities of SAR. Generally applicable for quad polarized data, this study investigates the polarimetric capabilities of a dual polarized data obtained from ALOS PALSAR, which is not a general notion. The approach applied in the study shows accurate results for detection of land features using polarimetric decomposition of dual polarized ALOS PALSAR data over an area of Munger in the state of Bihar, India. Twelve distinct land cover features are identified in the study area using this approach. The polarimetric products are also investigated for deriving the biomass information for the vegetation cover in the study area. The relation between in-situ biomass generated from floral species-specific volumetric equations and SAR polarimetric products showed a moderate correlation of 0.56 with RMSE=29.13 t/ha and data agreement of 0.62 based on exponential regression model for predicting biomass. The decomposition parameters revealed more evidences for forest structure and feature identification rather than biomass information. The method adopted in the study can be well utilized for land resource information and mapping; hence, natural and man-made resource monitoring and management.","PeriodicalId":37671,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Landscape Ecology(Czech Republic)","volume":"15 1","pages":"19 - 35"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49670052","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-12-01DOI: 10.2478/jlecol-2022-0015
Anupam Pandey, Arun Mondal, S. Guha, P. K. Upadhyay, Rashmi
Abstract The study focused on investigating the seasonal and spatiotemporal relationship between the relationships of LST with four spectral indices (MNDWI, NDBaI, NDBI, and NDVI) in and around Manipur City of India using eight cloud-free Landsat data from the summer and winter seasons for 1991, 2001, 2011, and 2021. These spectral indices respond differently to the change of LST in an urban landscape. Pearson’s linear correlation coefficient was the basis of the correlation analysis. The study finds that LST builds a moderate negative relationship with NDVI (R = -0.42) and MNDWI (R = -0.42), a moderate positive relationship with NDBaI (R=0.48), and NDBI (R = 0.61). The relationship is more stable in the winter season (CV = 7.31, 7.04, 10.45, and 28.71 for MNDWI, NDBaI, NDBI, and NDVI, respectively) than in summer (CV = 44.46, 36.09, 23.67, and 29.71 for MNDWI, NDBaI, NDBI, and NDVI, respectively). The strength of the relationship is gradually increasing in the winter season while there is no such effect noticed on the trend in the summer season. The LST-NDBI relationship is the most consistent (CV = 18.19), while the LST-NDVI relationship is the most variable (CV = 30.37).
{"title":"A Seasonal Investigation on Land Surface Temperature and Spectral Indices in Imphal City, India","authors":"Anupam Pandey, Arun Mondal, S. Guha, P. K. Upadhyay, Rashmi","doi":"10.2478/jlecol-2022-0015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/jlecol-2022-0015","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The study focused on investigating the seasonal and spatiotemporal relationship between the relationships of LST with four spectral indices (MNDWI, NDBaI, NDBI, and NDVI) in and around Manipur City of India using eight cloud-free Landsat data from the summer and winter seasons for 1991, 2001, 2011, and 2021. These spectral indices respond differently to the change of LST in an urban landscape. Pearson’s linear correlation coefficient was the basis of the correlation analysis. The study finds that LST builds a moderate negative relationship with NDVI (R = -0.42) and MNDWI (R = -0.42), a moderate positive relationship with NDBaI (R=0.48), and NDBI (R = 0.61). The relationship is more stable in the winter season (CV = 7.31, 7.04, 10.45, and 28.71 for MNDWI, NDBaI, NDBI, and NDVI, respectively) than in summer (CV = 44.46, 36.09, 23.67, and 29.71 for MNDWI, NDBaI, NDBI, and NDVI, respectively). The strength of the relationship is gradually increasing in the winter season while there is no such effect noticed on the trend in the summer season. The LST-NDBI relationship is the most consistent (CV = 18.19), while the LST-NDVI relationship is the most variable (CV = 30.37).","PeriodicalId":37671,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Landscape Ecology(Czech Republic)","volume":"15 1","pages":"1 - 18"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46779943","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-09-01DOI: 10.2478/jlecol-2022-0013
Tirebo Tekle, Melesse Maryo
Abstract Mountainous ecosystems provide social, economic, and environmental services at different scales. Nonetheless, currently, they have been exposed to environmental degradation risks. This study was conducted to investigate woody plant species diversity and threats to the study forest. Systematic sampling was employed to collect vegetation data from fifty 400 m2 sample plots along five transect lines. Vegetation and the environmental variables were recorded from each plot. Eighty randomly sampled households were selected for socioeconomic data. Descriptive statistics and ranking exercises were employed. The vegetation classification was performed using the R program version 2.15.2. The species diversity, richness, and evenness were computed. The result showed that five plant communities were recognized. A total of 99 woody plants belonging to 87 genera and 50 families were identified, of which 13 % were endemic. The total basal area of the study forest was 3.40 m2ha-1, and the forest was characterized by a bell-shaped population structure identified by poor regeneration and recruitment. With increasing altitude, there was a significant decrease in human impacts, grazing, and the number of plant species. About 90 % of the informants disclosed deforestation as the major threat to forest cover change, whereas 84 % of them recommended forest restoration as a tangible measure. There was a high deforestation rate of the selected woody species (e.g., Arundinaria alpina) and high expansion of agriculture at the fringes of the forest. This requires promoting forest land rehabilitation activities, nature tourism, establishing partnerships with communities on the forest management, consolidating village-level institutions and developing livelihood alternatives for communities at the local governments and the community level to restore the degraded forest.
{"title":"Ecological Assessment of Woody Plant Diversity and the Associated Threats in Afromontane Forest of Ambericho, Southern Ethiopia","authors":"Tirebo Tekle, Melesse Maryo","doi":"10.2478/jlecol-2022-0013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/jlecol-2022-0013","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Mountainous ecosystems provide social, economic, and environmental services at different scales. Nonetheless, currently, they have been exposed to environmental degradation risks. This study was conducted to investigate woody plant species diversity and threats to the study forest. Systematic sampling was employed to collect vegetation data from fifty 400 m2 sample plots along five transect lines. Vegetation and the environmental variables were recorded from each plot. Eighty randomly sampled households were selected for socioeconomic data. Descriptive statistics and ranking exercises were employed. The vegetation classification was performed using the R program version 2.15.2. The species diversity, richness, and evenness were computed. The result showed that five plant communities were recognized. A total of 99 woody plants belonging to 87 genera and 50 families were identified, of which 13 % were endemic. The total basal area of the study forest was 3.40 m2ha-1, and the forest was characterized by a bell-shaped population structure identified by poor regeneration and recruitment. With increasing altitude, there was a significant decrease in human impacts, grazing, and the number of plant species. About 90 % of the informants disclosed deforestation as the major threat to forest cover change, whereas 84 % of them recommended forest restoration as a tangible measure. There was a high deforestation rate of the selected woody species (e.g., Arundinaria alpina) and high expansion of agriculture at the fringes of the forest. This requires promoting forest land rehabilitation activities, nature tourism, establishing partnerships with communities on the forest management, consolidating village-level institutions and developing livelihood alternatives for communities at the local governments and the community level to restore the degraded forest.","PeriodicalId":37671,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Landscape Ecology(Czech Republic)","volume":"15 1","pages":"102 - 126"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42321909","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-09-01DOI: 10.2478/jlecol-2022-0008
H. Kilianová, V. Pechanec, M. Prokopová, K. Kirchner
Abstract This paper focuses on evaluating the functional connectivity of naturally valuable habitats within the territory of the Jeseníky Protected Landscape Area (PLA). Analysis of functional connectivity was carried out for individual zones of classified nature preservation. The methodological approach that is applied is based on determining indicators for expressing the degree of the natural character of individual landscape segments (Nd), the distance to naturally valuable habitats (Dn), and a composite index Distance to Nature (D2N). The results for the individual zones and the PLA as a whole are mutually compared and consequently confronted with values for the territory of the entire Czech Republic. All three research questions, i.e. whether naturally valuable habitats prevail in the most valuable area in the first protected zone of the Jeseníky PLA, whether the distance to naturally valuable habitats in the first zone of the Jeseníky PLA is the shortest, and whether the territory of the Jeseníky PLA is better functionally interlinked when compared with the remaining territory of the Czech Republic (CR), were answered positively. The results highlight the need to assess the connectivity of natural habitats in the least protected zones of other PLAs in the Czech Republic and EU, to decide whether planning measures to support the ecological network are necessary.
{"title":"Functional Connectivity of Naturally Valuable Habitats in the Jeseníky Protected Landscape Area","authors":"H. Kilianová, V. Pechanec, M. Prokopová, K. Kirchner","doi":"10.2478/jlecol-2022-0008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/jlecol-2022-0008","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This paper focuses on evaluating the functional connectivity of naturally valuable habitats within the territory of the Jeseníky Protected Landscape Area (PLA). Analysis of functional connectivity was carried out for individual zones of classified nature preservation. The methodological approach that is applied is based on determining indicators for expressing the degree of the natural character of individual landscape segments (Nd), the distance to naturally valuable habitats (Dn), and a composite index Distance to Nature (D2N). The results for the individual zones and the PLA as a whole are mutually compared and consequently confronted with values for the territory of the entire Czech Republic. All three research questions, i.e. whether naturally valuable habitats prevail in the most valuable area in the first protected zone of the Jeseníky PLA, whether the distance to naturally valuable habitats in the first zone of the Jeseníky PLA is the shortest, and whether the territory of the Jeseníky PLA is better functionally interlinked when compared with the remaining territory of the Czech Republic (CR), were answered positively. The results highlight the need to assess the connectivity of natural habitats in the least protected zones of other PLAs in the Czech Republic and EU, to decide whether planning measures to support the ecological network are necessary.","PeriodicalId":37671,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Landscape Ecology(Czech Republic)","volume":"15 1","pages":"1 - 12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46692961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-09-01DOI: 10.2478/jlecol-2022-0012
Jordan Tzvetkov
Abstract This article presents a study of the historical dynamics of human impact on the landscapes of Vitosha Mountain, Bulgaria. Information about the main historical and present-day anthropogenic impacts on landscapes was obtained from a various data sources and field research. These impacts include hunting, agriculture, grazing, logging, charcoal production, iron production, gold mining, stone quarry, reforestation, recreation. Five historical phases of anthropogenic impact on landscapes are recognized in our analysis: the Prehistoric phase, the Antiquity phase, the Mediaeval phase, the Ottoman phase and the Modern phase. The greatest anthropogenic impact was during the Ottoman phase, when the intensive agricultural and mining (iron and gold) activities contributed to a great landscape transformation and degradation. The functional purposes on the territory of Vitosha have undergone a radical change since 1934. The human impact on landscapes has gradually decreased and economic use gave way to conservation and recreation.
{"title":"Historical Dynamics of Human Impact on Landscapes of Vitosha Mountain (SW Bulgaria)","authors":"Jordan Tzvetkov","doi":"10.2478/jlecol-2022-0012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/jlecol-2022-0012","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This article presents a study of the historical dynamics of human impact on the landscapes of Vitosha Mountain, Bulgaria. Information about the main historical and present-day anthropogenic impacts on landscapes was obtained from a various data sources and field research. These impacts include hunting, agriculture, grazing, logging, charcoal production, iron production, gold mining, stone quarry, reforestation, recreation. Five historical phases of anthropogenic impact on landscapes are recognized in our analysis: the Prehistoric phase, the Antiquity phase, the Mediaeval phase, the Ottoman phase and the Modern phase. The greatest anthropogenic impact was during the Ottoman phase, when the intensive agricultural and mining (iron and gold) activities contributed to a great landscape transformation and degradation. The functional purposes on the territory of Vitosha have undergone a radical change since 1934. The human impact on landscapes has gradually decreased and economic use gave way to conservation and recreation.","PeriodicalId":37671,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Landscape Ecology(Czech Republic)","volume":"15 1","pages":"80 - 101"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46106352","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-09-01DOI: 10.2478/jlecol-2022-0009
Ashwani Kumar, D. Kumar, S. M. Veerabhadrappa
Abstract Greater NOIDA evolved from 1991 with 101 villages to 2020 with 293 villages. This is an ideal case of rural to urban transformation in the immediate past. This transformation led to a decrease in recharging natural surfaces and an increase in impermeable surfaces. Along with the reduction in recharge areas, an increase in population has necessitated more and more extraction of groundwater resulting in an imbalance of water extraction and recharge. The result is depletion of groundwater levels in this area. The area is part of the wide Indo-Gangetic alluvium with sand, silt and clay layers resting on quartzite’s of Delhi Super Group. Geomorphological map prepared using digital elevation models of the area shows older and younger alluvial plains and active flood plains of the river Hindan. Time series analysis of key land use land cover classes shows that recharge areas were reduced from 77 % to 30 % from 2005 to 2019 and impervious surfaces have increased from 19 % to 65 % for the same period. Aquifers of the area are both phreatic and semi-confined. The aquifer parameters estimated through step drawdown test and long duration aquifer performance test indicates that the average coefficient of transmissivity of the area is 1752 m2/day and the average coefficient of storage is 4.84 x 10-4. Discharge of the wells shows a yield of 8 to 16 lps for a drawdown of 3 to 6 m. An attempt has been made to know the behaviour of groundwater levels during the same period as that of land use land cover. The results indicate a 74 % depletion in groundwater levels with an average annual depletion of 21 %. An interrelationship between urban growth and groundwater levels has been established in this study. This analysis indicates that as agriculture declined water levels also depleted and have a positive correlation of 0.852. On the contrary, as the built-up increased water level has depleted hence have a negative relationship with a correlation coefficient of -0.851. To make it a sustainable resource, these overexploited aquifers need careful participatory management by communities, Scientists, and policymakers.
{"title":"Analysing Effects on Ground Water Levels Due to Conversion of Rural to Urban Landscapes","authors":"Ashwani Kumar, D. Kumar, S. M. Veerabhadrappa","doi":"10.2478/jlecol-2022-0009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/jlecol-2022-0009","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Greater NOIDA evolved from 1991 with 101 villages to 2020 with 293 villages. This is an ideal case of rural to urban transformation in the immediate past. This transformation led to a decrease in recharging natural surfaces and an increase in impermeable surfaces. Along with the reduction in recharge areas, an increase in population has necessitated more and more extraction of groundwater resulting in an imbalance of water extraction and recharge. The result is depletion of groundwater levels in this area. The area is part of the wide Indo-Gangetic alluvium with sand, silt and clay layers resting on quartzite’s of Delhi Super Group. Geomorphological map prepared using digital elevation models of the area shows older and younger alluvial plains and active flood plains of the river Hindan. Time series analysis of key land use land cover classes shows that recharge areas were reduced from 77 % to 30 % from 2005 to 2019 and impervious surfaces have increased from 19 % to 65 % for the same period. Aquifers of the area are both phreatic and semi-confined. The aquifer parameters estimated through step drawdown test and long duration aquifer performance test indicates that the average coefficient of transmissivity of the area is 1752 m2/day and the average coefficient of storage is 4.84 x 10-4. Discharge of the wells shows a yield of 8 to 16 lps for a drawdown of 3 to 6 m. An attempt has been made to know the behaviour of groundwater levels during the same period as that of land use land cover. The results indicate a 74 % depletion in groundwater levels with an average annual depletion of 21 %. An interrelationship between urban growth and groundwater levels has been established in this study. This analysis indicates that as agriculture declined water levels also depleted and have a positive correlation of 0.852. On the contrary, as the built-up increased water level has depleted hence have a negative relationship with a correlation coefficient of -0.851. To make it a sustainable resource, these overexploited aquifers need careful participatory management by communities, Scientists, and policymakers.","PeriodicalId":37671,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Landscape Ecology(Czech Republic)","volume":"15 1","pages":"13 - 33"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69220224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}