Perception of the Values of the Biocultural Landscape Types of Slovakia by the Population

The perception of the landscape by society is becoming an integral part of many studies in terms of the quality of the living environment, sport and recreation and building and developing social relationships. To evaluate the perception and appreciation of individual landscape types by society, we used an online questionnaire as a form of sociological survey. We used the statistical method of non-metric multidimensional scaling NMDS in R package to determine the variability of responses in relation to respondents. The relationship between demographic factors and landscape perception and landscape type preferences was evaluated. The results of multidimensional scaling show a strong relationship between young men and a preference for recreation over agro-tourism. The middle generation with university education looks more frequently for cultural monuments. University-educated middle-aged men perceive the natural landscape as degraded and endangered, and middle-aged men with secondary education understand the need for the protection of traditional agricultural landscapes. It is important to integrate people’s preferences and needs into the landscape planning and decision-making processes, so that they can contribute to the creation of development plans and other strategic documents.

Geoplastics of relief as a means of forming the perception of landscape compositions on the example of the Pechersk landscape park in Kyiv

Geoplastics, as a method of vertical planning, is gaining more and more popularity among landscape architects, because this method gives the landscape an aesthetic unity, expressiveness, and a peculiar feature. The paper considers the influence of geo-plastic changes in the relief on a person, the viewer's perception of the environment. These factors are extremely important in the creation and design of the park, they allow the key elements to be presented, while creating harmonious combinations in the space, it is admirable and it is this that encourages you to visit the landscape object. Pechersk Landscape Park is located on the picturesque slopes of the Dnieper in Kiev, has a landscape type of planning, which is characterized by large areas of lawns with groups of shrubs and trees, the lack of symmetry in the placement of alleys and other elements of free planning. The park zone itself covers an area of 32,92 hectares. Location in difficult terrain contributes to the use of geo-plastic tools, which can be used to improve and develop park space. The illuminated research is based on the analogy method, by means of which the analog elements of geoplastics are transferred to the results obtained during the field survey of the park territory on difficult terrain. Graphic materials were developed using the ArchiCad 21 software package based on the original cartographic data. A detailed analysis of the problematic aspects of the Pechersky Landscape Park identified the main tasks: adaptability to the needs of society, increasing the comfort of stay, improving the natural landscape, arranging natural zones of park relief. Techniques and methods for improving the territory were applied, such as terracing slopes, creating eco-chairs, using artificial relief in playgrounds. The impact of these changes on the stay of visitors and on the environment as a whole is summarized and predicted. The use of geoplastics in the context of the perception of landscape compositions will contribute to solving problematic relief and exposition aspects of the Pechersk Landscape Park, which will increase its recreational potential.

LANDSCAPE-ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF THE PARK TERRITORY OF CULTURAL HOUSE 50-YEARS OF OCTOBER, VORONEZH

The results of the landscape-ecological assessment of the park territory of cultural house 50-years of October in Voronezh are presented. This work allows you to determine the state of the object for its further use. This facility is located in the South-West district of the city and is used for recreation of the local population. The indicators of landscape-ecological assessment were determined: type of landscape, type of spatial structure, sanitary-hygienic assessment, aesthetic assessment, stage of digression. The results of the research showed that the site is in a relatively good sanitary condition, the indicator of aesthetic assessment is at a fairly high level. We also studied the plant species, which grow on the object and their condition. The assortment available in the park is represented by the list of woody plants: Robinia pseudoacacia, Betula pendula, Ulmus pumila, Acer platanoides, Tilia cordata, Populus alba, Populus pyramidalis, Sorbus aucuparia.All woody plants in the park is in good and satisfactory condition. Based on the results of the assessment of the territory, it is possible to outline design measures that will improve the sanitary, hygienic and aesthetic conditions at the facility. There is a need to design small forms of architecture (benches, urns), organize additional planting of trees, pick up flowering shrubs and create flower beds to enhance the attractiveness of the object.

The challenge of estimating wildlife populations at scale: the case of the European badger (Meles meles) in Ireland

Estimating population size in space and time is essential for applied ecology and wildlife management purposes; however, making accurate and precise estimates at large scales is highly challenging. An example is the European badger (Meles meles), a widespread and abundant mammal in Ireland. Due to their role in the epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis, the species has been culled in agriculturally dominant landscapes with the intention of reducing spillback infection to local cattle populations. Despite several studies using different approaches having estimated badger populations at different time points and scales, there remains considerable uncertainty regarding the current population and its future trajectory. To explore this uncertainty, we use published data and expert opinion to estimate a snapshot of probable badger population size using a Monte Carlo approach, incorporating variation in three key components: social group numbers, group size, and culling efficacy. Using this approach, we estimate what the badger population in Ireland would be with/without culling, assuming a steady-state population at carrying capacity, and discuss the limitations of our current understanding. The mean estimate for the badger population size was 63,188 (5–95th percentile, 48,037–79,315). Population estimates were sensitive to the assumption of mean group size across landscape type. Assuming a cessation of culling (in favour of vaccination, for example) in agricultural areas, the mean estimated population size was 92,096 (5–95th percentile, 67,188–118,881). Despite significant research being conducted on badgers, estimates on population size at a national level in Ireland are only approximate, which is reflected in the large uncertainty in the estimates from this study and inconsistencies between recording of data parameters in previous studies. Focusing on carefully estimating group size, factors impacting its variation, in addition to understanding the dynamics of repopulation post-culling, could be a fruitful component to concentrate on to improve the precision of future estimates.

Landscape Development Types in Central Lika 1980−2012 − Applying Spatial and Process-Oriented GIS Model

This paper presents an analysis and definition of development types and subtypes in the landscape of Central Lika, based on processes of change in the period 1980−2012 CORINE Land Cover database data for 1980 and 2012 were used to establish the landscape types in Central Lika in those years. The landscape types in Central Lika were determined according to land cover/land use. Based on the mutual relations between the established landscape types in the two observed years, we established six landscape development types and three subtypes in Central Lika. The spatial distribution of landscape development types and subtypes in Central Lika was determined using the Standard Deviational Ellipse (Directional Distribution) spatial analysis method. The results obtained showed that in the observation period (1980−2012), most of the area of Central Lika (89.46%) belonged to the Stagnation landscape type. Other development types were present to a much lesser extent (about 5.5%) and were found to be Vegetation succession, Agrarisation, Vegetation degradation and Built-up land. We established a spatial gradation of three phases in the process of vegetation succession, that is, development subtypes from the centre to the margins of the research area. At the same time, in the observation period, the process and trend of extensification of land use in Central Lika was twice as present as intensification.

Analysis of spatiotemporal changes of agricultural land after the Second World War in Czechia

The term Sudetenland refers to large regions of the former Czechoslovakia that had been dominated by Germans. German population was expelled directly after the Second World War, between 1945 and 1947. Almost three million people left large areas in less than two years. This population change led to a break in the relationship between the people and the landscape. The aim of the study is to compare the trajectories of these changes in agricultural landscapes in lower and higher altitudes, both in depopulated areas and areas with preserved populations. This study included ten sites in the region of Northern Bohemia in Czechia (18,000 ha in total). Five of these sites represent depopulated areas, and the other five areas where populations remained preserved. Changes in the landscape were assessed through a bi-temporal analysis of land use change by using aerial photograph data from time hoirzons of 2018 and 1953. Land use changes from the 1950s to the present are corroborated in the studied depopulated and preserved areas mainly by the trajectory of agricultural land to forest. The results prove that both population displacement and landscape type are important factors that affect landscape changes, especially in agricultural landscapes.

Southwestern ponderosa pine forest patterns following wildland fires managed for resource benefit differ from reference landscapes

Context. Managers aiming to utilize wildland fire to restore southwestern ponderosa pine landscapes require better understanding of forest cover patterns produced at multiple scales. Restoration effectiveness of wildland fires managed for resource benefit can be evaluated against natural ranges of variation.Objectives. We describe landscape patterns within reference landscapes, including restored and functioning ponderosa pine forests of northern Arizona, and compare them to wildland fires managed for resource benefit. We make comparisons along a gradient of extents and assess the effects of scale on landscape differences.Methods. Using Sentinel-2 imagery, we classified ponderosa pine forest cover and calculated landscape metrics across a gradient of landscape extent within reference and managed landscapes. We used non-parametric tests to assess differences. We used random forest models to assess and explore which landscape metrics were most importance in differentiating landscape patterns.Results. Managed wildfire landscapes were significantly different from reference landscapes for most metrics and extents (15 ha to 840 ha). Landscape type (managed vs. reference) became increasingly differentiable with scale, with area and aggregation metrics being the most informative. Classification models increased in accuracy despite fewer observations with increasing scale.Conclusions. Wildland fires managed for resource benefit in ponderosa pine forests of northern Arizona are not producing landscape patterns consistent with reference landscapes likely due to predominance of low-severity burning and minimal resulting changes in overstory structure. Differences become more pronounced with increasing landscape size and suggest small-scale heterogeneity and mid - and large-scale homogeneity within each landscape type.

Insights into Public Visual Behaviors through Eye-Tracking Tests: A Study Based on National Park System Pilot Area Landscapes

National parks are important natural reserves of high ecological value, and the visual perception of national park landscapes is closely tied to the degree of protection that the natural resources within national parks receive. Visual cognition has a direct impact on public consciousness and plays an increasingly important role in national park management. Most techniques and methods previously used to study visual behaviors are subjective and qualitative; objective and quantitative studies are rare. Here, we used the eye-tracking method to study the visual behaviors of individuals viewing landscapes within the Qianjiangyuan National Park System Pilot Area to assess the visual and psychological mechanisms underlying public perception of different landscapes. The effect of landscape type on visual behaviors was greater than that of color diversity and degree of spatial confinement and was mainly related to the characteristics of landscape elements. The public preferred recreational and forest landscapes with high ornamental value, whereas rural and wetland landscapes tended to be neglected given that perception of these landscapes required additional information to facilitate interpretation. When landscape colors were uniform and landscape spaces were more confined, the fixation duration was longer, and instant attractiveness was stronger. The effects of subject background on behavioral preferences were examined. Females were more interested in the whole landscape, whereas males focused more on the parts of the landscapes with prominent humanistic architectural features, complex colors, and open space. Art students generally preferred landscapes with strong humanistic attributes, whereas students majoring in forestry preferred landscapes with strong natural attributes.

Landscape change patterns at three stages of the construction and operation of the TGP

Analyses of landscape change patterns that are based on elevation and slope can not only provide reasonable interpretations of landscape patterns but can also help to reveal evolutionary laws. However, landscape change patterns and their model in different landforms of the typical watershed in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA) has not been quantified and assessed effectively. As a complex geographical unit, the ecological environment in the middle reach of the Yangtze River has experienced great changes due to the construction of the Three Gorges Project (TGP) and its associated human activities. Here, based mainly on a digital elevation model (DEM) and remotely sensed images from 1986, 2000, 2010, and 2017 and by using GIS technology, speeds/ trends of landscape change, the index of landscape type change intensity, landscape pattern indices, and landscape ecological security index, the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of different elevations, slopes, and buffer landscape types were analyzed in typical watersheds, as well as an evolutionary model of the landscape pattern. The results indicated that (1) the landscape types along with the land classification and buffer zone that were influenced by the TGR construction have undergone a phased change, with the period 2000–2010 being the most dramatic period of landscape evolution during the impoundment period; (2) landscape type shifts from human-dominated farmland to nature-driven forestland and shrub-land as elevations, slopes and buffer distances increased. The landscape has shifted from diversity to relative homogeneity; (3) land types and buffer zones played essential roles in the landscape pattern index, which is reflected in the differences in landscape type indices for spatial extension and temporal characteristics. The results of this paper illustrate the spatial–temporal characteristics of various landscape types at three distinct stages in the construction of the TGR. These findings indicate that the landscape ecological security of the watershed is improving year by year. The follow-up development of the TGRA needs to consider the landscape change patterns of different landforms.