Regional Differentiation of Long-Term Land Use Changes: A Case Study of Czechia

The major topic of this article is the evaluation of the regional differentiation of the long-term changes in land use in Czechia. This study searches the spatial and temporal differentiation of the changes and their driving forces since the 19th century. The comprehensive land use land cover change database (LUCC Czechia Database) which comprises cadastral data on the land use in the years 1845, 1896, 1948, 1990, 2000, and 2010 for more than 8000 units, was the main data source. The chief benefit of this article can be seen in the methodical procedures of the application of the “Rate of heterogeneity” (H) derived from the Gini coefficient in the research of the differentiation/inequality of the long-term land use change. GIS modeling tools were used to calculate the selected geographical characteristics (altitude and slope) of the examined units for the purpose of searching the factors of the land use changes. The results show a strong trend in the differentiation of the long-term land use changes. Two main antagonistic processes took place in the land use structure during the observed period of 1845–2010. The fertile regions experienced agricultural intensification with the concentration of the arable land in these regions. On the other hand, the infertile regions experienced extensification, accompanied by afforestation and grass planting during the last decades. The influence of natural conditions (altitude and slope) on the distribution of the land use has been growing—the arable land has been concentrated into the lower altitudes and, more significantly, into less steep areas. Grasslands and forests predominantly occupy the less favored areas with higher altitudes and steeper slopes. The built-up areas have been strongly concentrated and regionally polarized. In 1845, half of the Czech built-up areas were concentrated in 31% of the total country area, whereas in 2010, it was in 21%.

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Land use and landscape changes in Czechia during the period of transition 1990–2007

Geografie ◽

10.37040/geografie2009114040263 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 114 (4) ◽

pp. 263-281 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Ivan Bičík ◽

Leoš Jeleček

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Social Factors ◽

Driving Forces ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Regional Differentiation ◽

Landscape Changes ◽

Natural Conditions ◽

Democratic System ◽

Political Economic

The article analyzes land use changes and their influence on landscape development in Czechia during the complex period of transition after 1990 to a democratic system with a capitalist economy. To analyze the database of cadastral data on land use of about 13,000 comparable basic territorial units (CTU) and their regional differentiation the typology method (the establishment of types of changes in CTUs and their portion of all CTUs) was used above all. At the same time tables follow the periods which formed over the long-term the preceding land use situation in Czechia at the start of the transition (1845–1948 and 1948–1990). Ascertained changes and trends in land use changes are then interpreted on the basis of searching out and explaining the main political, economic and social factors (or societal driving forces) that caused them. Their interaction with natural conditions is taken into account as well.

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The Long-Term Development of Water Bodies in the Context of Land Use: The Case of the Kyjovka and Trkmanka River Basins (Czech Republic)/ Dlouhodobý vývoj vodních ploch v povodí Kyjovky a Trkmanky v kontextu využití krajiny (Česká republika)

Moravian Geographical Reports ◽

10.1515/mgr-2014-0022 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 22 (4) ◽

pp. 39-50 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Marek Havlíček ◽

Renata Pavelková ◽

Jindřich Frajer ◽

Hana Skokanová

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

World War Ii ◽

Czech Republic ◽

River Basin ◽

Driving Forces ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

River Basins ◽

Water Bodies ◽

Land Use Development

Abstract The long-term development of water bodies is investigated in this article using the cases of two river basins with similar natural conditions: the Kyjovka and Trkmanka River Basins in the Czech Republic. Using old topographic maps, land use development was assessed and the analysis of driving forces of land use changes was carried out. The essential land use changes in these areas are connected with the processes of agricultural intensification and urbanisation. The largest area of water bodies was recorded in both river basins in 1763. In the second half of the 19th century, the disappearance of most water bodies in the two basins was significantly affected by the above-mentioned driving forces. After World War II, some of the water bodies in the Kyjovka River Basin were restored and new ponds were established. In contrast, no significant water bodies were restored in the Trkmanka River Basin.

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At the Crossroads of European Landscape Changes: Major Processes of Landscape Change in Czechia since the Middle of the 19th Century and Their Driving Forces

Land ◽

10.3390/land10010034 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 34

Author(s):

Lucie Kupková ◽

Ivan Bičík ◽

Leoš Jeleček

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

19Th Century ◽

Landscape Change ◽

Cultural Landscape ◽

Driving Forces ◽

Arable Land ◽

Landscape Changes ◽

Mountain Areas ◽

Key Events ◽

The 19Th Century

Changes in the cultural landscape provide essential evidence about the manner and intensity of the interactions between humans and nature. Czechia has a specific location in Central Europe. It is positioned at the crossroads of European landscape changes. These changes can be documented based on a unique database that shows the development of land use since the middle of the 19th century. In this study, we aimed to address the major processes of landscape change that occurred during four periods over the past 165 years, at the cadastral level on the territory of present-day Czechia. Further we identify and discuss proximate and underlying driving forces of the landscape changes. We used land use data from the year 1845, 1896, 1948, 1990, and 2010 that correspond to key events in Czech history. The major processes and intensity of landscape change were evaluated based on calculations of increases and decreases in land use classes between the first and last year of each examined period. The period 1845–1896 was the only period in which arable land increased, and the most recent period, 1990–2010, was the only period during which a grassing over process was recorded. Afforestation was recorded in all periods. The communist period was characterized by unified changes—urbanization, afforestation, arable land decrease, and landscape devastation. The post-communist period was, in some respects, beneficial to the landscape (e.g., grassing over and afforestation, particularly in mountain areas), but it also led to negative processes, such as strong urbanization and land abandonment. Such changes lead to landscape polarization. The landscape changes in Czechia during the period 1845–2010 reflect many important historical events in Europe. In our analysis, we demonstrate the essential impact of underlying drivers and also identify driving forces specific to the development of the Czech territory.

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Anthropogenic impact on biogenic Si pools in temperate soils

Biogeosciences Discussions ◽

10.5194/bgd-8-4391-2011 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 4391-4419 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

W. Clymans ◽

E. Struyf ◽

G. Govers ◽

F. Vandevenne ◽

D. J. Conley

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Agricultural Development ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Arable Land ◽

Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽

Human Land Use ◽

Long Term Effect ◽

Disturbed Land ◽

The Impact

Abstract. Human land use changes directly affect silica (Si) mobilisation and Si storage in terrestrial ecosystems and influence Si export from the continents, although the magnitudes of the impact are unknown. Yet biogenic silica (BSi) in soils is an understudied aspect. We have quantified and compared total biogenic (PSia) and easily soluble (PSie) Si pools at four sites along a gradient of disturbance in southern Sweden. An estimate of the magnitude of change in temperate continental BSi pools due to human disturbance is provided. Land use clearly affects BSi pools and their distribution. Total PSia and PSie for a continuous forested site at Siggaboda Nature Reserve (66 900 ± 22 800 kg SiO2 ha−1 and 952 ± 16 kg SiO2 ha−1) are significantly higher than disturbed land use types from the Råshult Culture Reserve including arable land (28 800 ± 7200 kg SiO2 ha−1 and 239 ± 91 kg SiO2 ha−1), pasture sites (27 300 ± 5980 kg SiO2 ha−1 and 370 ± 129 kg SiO2 ha−1) and grazed forest (23 600 ± 6370 kg SiO2 ha−1 and 346 ± 123 kg SiO2 ha−1). Vertical PSia and PSie profiles show significant (p<0.05) variation among the sites. These differences in size and distribution are interpreted as the long-term effect of reduced BSi replenishment and increased mobilisation of the PSia in disturbed soils. In temperate regions, total PSia showed a 10 % decline since agricultural development (3000BCE). Recent agricultural expansion (after 1700CE) has resulted in an average export of 1.1 ± 0.8 Tmol Si yr−1, leading to an annual contribution of ca. 20 % to the global land-ocean Si flux carried by rivers. Human activities clearly exert a long-term influence on Si cycling in soils and contribute significantly to the land-ocean Si flux.

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Grassland winners and arable land losers: The effects of post-totalitarian land use changes on long-term population trends of farmland birds

Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment ◽

10.1016/j.agee.2016.08.007 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 232 ◽

pp. 208-217 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Jiſí Reif ◽

Jan Hanzelka

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Arable Land ◽

Population Trends ◽

Farmland Birds

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Effect of land use change on the structure of Gleyic Fluvisols in western Serbia

Journal of Agricultural Sciences Belgrade ◽

10.2298/jas1402151g ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 59 (2) ◽

pp. 151-160

Author(s):

Bosko Gajic ◽

Branka Kresovic ◽

Snezana Dragovic ◽

Zorica Sredojevic ◽

Ranko Dragovic

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Arable Land ◽

Aggregate Stability ◽

Arable Soil ◽

Water Stability ◽

Aggregate Distribution ◽

Effects Of Land Use ◽

Natural Grassland

Changes in land use can significantly affect aggregate distribution and water stability of structural aggregates. This study was conducted in the Kolubara River Valley, Western Serbia, to determine the effects of land use changes on composition and water stability of aggregates in humus horizons (0-30 cm) of noncarbonated Gleyic Fluvisols. This study was conducted at nine sites, where each site contained two adjacent land uses of natural grassland and arable land which underwent crop rotation for >100 years. Soil samples were taken from depths of 0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm for each land use. When the grassland was converted into arable land, the content of the agronomically most valuable aggregates (0.25-10 mm) of cultivated soils for a depth of 0-30 cm was significantly reduced by 22-40%, while the percentage of cloddy aggregates (>10 mm) increased by 41-68%, compared to grassland. In addition, the long-term arable soil had significantly (p<0.05) lower aggregate stability, determined by wet sieving, than grassland. The lowest aggregate stability was found in aggregates > 3 mm. Their content is ? 2.3 times lower in arable soil (12.6%) than in grassland (28.6%) at a depth of 0-10 cm. In addition, meanweight diameters of dry and wetstable aggregates and structure coefficient showed significant differences between land use at a depth of 0-30 cm. The results showed that the conversion of natural grassland to arable land in the lowland ecosystems of Western Serbia degraded aggregate distribution and stability.

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Comparison of the Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Land Use Changes in Four Municipalities of China Based on Intensity Analysis

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12093687 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (9) ◽

pp. 3687 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Siqin Tong ◽

Gang Bao ◽

Ah Rong ◽

Xiaojun Huang ◽

Yongbin Bao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Driving Forces ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Arable Land ◽

Global Environmental Change ◽

High Rate ◽

Intensity Analysis ◽

Spatial And Temporal Patterns ◽

Construction Land

Land use/cover change (LUCC) is becoming one of the most important and interesting problems in the study of global environmental change. Identifying the spatiotemporal behavior and associated driving forces behind changes in land use is crucial for the regional sustainable utilization of land resources. In this study, we consider the four municipalities of China (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing) and compare their spatiotemporal changes in land use from 1990 to 2015 by employing intensity analysis and barycenter migration models. We then discuss their driving forces. The results show that the largest reduction and increase variations were mainly concentrated in arable and construction land, respectively. The decrement and increment were the largest in Shanghai, followed by Beijing and Tianjin, and the least in Chongqing. Furthermore, the results of the barycenter migration model indicate that in addition to Beijing, the migration distances of construction land were longer than those of arable land in three other cities. Moreover, the application of intensity analysis revealed that the rate of land use change was also the greatest in Shanghai and the slowest in Chongqing during the whole study period, with all of their arable land being mainly transformed into construction land. The driving force analysis results suggest that the spatial and temporal patterns of land use change were the results of the socio-economic development, national policies, and major events. In other words, where there was a high rate of economic and population growth, the intensity of land use change was relatively large.

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The MODIS Global Vegetation Fractional Cover Product 2001–2018: Characteristics of Vegetation Fractional Cover in Grasslands and Savanna Woodlands

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs12030406 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 406 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Michael J. Hill ◽

Juan P. Guerschman

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Production Systems ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Bare Soil ◽

Additional Information ◽

Fractional Cover ◽

Grassland Type ◽

Global Vegetation ◽

Global Indicator

Vegetation Fractional Cover (VFC) is an important global indicator of land cover change, land use practice and landscape, and ecosystem function. In this study, we present the Global Vegetation Fractional Cover Product (GVFCP) and explore the levels and trends in VFC across World Grassland Type (WGT) Ecoregions considering variation associated with Global Livestock Production Systems (GLPS). Long-term average levels and trends in fractional cover of photosynthetic vegetation (FPV), non-photosynthetic vegetation (FNPV), and bare soil (FBS) are mapped, and variation among GLPS types within WGT Divisions and Ecoregions is explored. Analysis also focused on the savanna-woodland WGT Formations. Many WGT Divisions showed wide variation in long-term average VFC and trends in VFC across GLPS types. Results showed large areas of many ecoregions experiencing significant positive and negative trends in VFC. East Africa, Patagonia, and the Mitchell Grasslands of Australia exhibited large areas of negative trends in FNPV and positive trends FBS. These trends may reflect interactions between extended drought, heavy livestock utilization, expanded agriculture, and other land use changes. Compared to previous studies, explicit measurement of FNPV revealed interesting additional information about vegetation cover and trends in many ecoregions. The Australian and Global products are available via the GEOGLAM RAPP (Group on Earth Observations Global Agricultural Monitoring Rangeland and Pasture Productivity) website, and the scientific community is encouraged to utilize the data and contribute to improved validation.

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Satellite Imaging and Long-Term Mosquito Surveillance Implicate the Influence of Rapid Urbanization on Culex Vector Populations

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects10090269 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. 269

Author(s):

Eleanor N. Field ◽

Ryan E. Tokarz ◽

Ryan C. Smith

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Disease Transmission ◽

Culex Pipiens ◽

Management Practices ◽

Mosquito Species ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Mosquito Vector ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Mosquito Surveillance

The ecology and environmental conditions of a habitat have profound influences on mosquito population abundance. As a result, mosquito species vary in their associations with particular habitat types, yet long-term studies showing how mosquito populations shift in a changing ecological landscape are lacking. To better understand how land use changes influence mosquito populations, we examined mosquito surveillance data over a thirty-four-year period for two contrasting sites in central Iowa. One site displayed increasing levels of urbanization over time and a dramatic decline in Culex pipiens group (an informal grouping of Culex restuans, Culex pipiens, and Culex salinarius, referred to as CPG), the primary vectors of West Nile virus in central Iowa. Similar effects were also shown for other mosquito vector populations, yet the abundance of Aedes vexans remained constant during the study period. This is in contrast to a second site, which reflected an established urban landscape. At this location, there were no significant changes in land use and CPG populations remained constant. Climate data (temperature, total precipitation) were compiled for each location to see if these changes could account for altered population dynamics, but neither significantly influence CPG abundance at the respective site locations. Taken together, our data suggest that increased landscape development can have negative impacts on Culex vector populations, and we argue that long-term surveillance paired with satellite imagery analysis are useful methods for measuring the impacts of rapid human development on mosquito vector communities. As a result, we believe that land use changes can have important implications for mosquito management practices, population modeling, and disease transmission dynamics.

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