Present and historical landscape structure shapes current species richness in Central European grasslands

Context Current diversity and species composition of ecological communities can often not exclusively be explained by present land use and landscape structure. Historical land use may have considerably influenced ecosystems and their properties for decades and centuries. Objectives We analysed the effects of present and historical landscape structure on plant and arthropod species richness in temperate grasslands, using data from comprehensive plant and arthropod assessments across three regions in Germany and maps of current and historical land cover from three time periods between 1820 and 2016. Methods We calculated local, grassland class and landscape scale metrics for 150 grassland plots. Class and landscape scale metrics were calculated in buffer zones of 100 to 2000 m around the plots. We considered effects on total species richness as well as on the richness of species subsets determined by taxonomy and functional traits related to habitat use, dispersal and feeding. Results Overall, models containing a combination of present and historical landscape metrics showed the best fit for several functional groups. Comparing three historical time periods, data from the 1820/50s was among the most frequent significant time periods in our models (29.7% of all significant variables). Conclusions Our results suggest that the historical landscape structure is an important predictor of current species richness across different taxa and functional groups. This needs to be considered to better identify priority sites for conservation and to design biodiversity-friendly land use practices that will affect landscape structure in the future.

Applying Knowledge Graph to Analyze the Historical Landscape Based on CiteSpace

The theory of “urban historical landscape” is gradually emerging in cultural heritage protection and urban planning in recent years. It was first proposed and promoted by UNESCO. In this study, the identification and evaluation are taken as the prerequisite for the protection and management of historical landscape. This paper uses CiteSpace to analyze the map of knowledge data to collect and sort out the global research status of urban historical landscape. In addition, the clustering function of knowledge graph software VOSviewer is used to analyze the knowledge clustering in the research field of urban historical landscape, and the research process and interdisciplinary development of urban historical landscape are obtained, to make some guiding suggestions for the future study of urban historical landscape. The results show that the study of urban historical landscape has experienced three stages. The early stage is the introduction and tracing stage, the middle stage is the diversification and enrichment stage, and the recent stage is the practice and construction stage. At present, it has become a multidisciplinary and multiperspective international research. The in-depth study of urban historical landscape undoubtedly opens a door for the traditional thought of urban heritage protection. At the same time, it gradually turned to more active management of urban historical landscape and also promoted the intersection of city, architecture, landscape architecture, anthropology, sociology, economics, and other disciplines from the side, with far-reaching influence. Reviewing and looking forward to studying urban historical landscape is more conducive to sustainable construction of the future. CiteSpace, as an excellent bibliometrics software, can help researchers sort out and display past research tracks in a novel visual way, to conduct future research better.

Reconstruction of the landscape section “G. Potiomkin’s garden” in the dendrological park “Oleksandria” of NAS of Ukraine

The historical landscape area “G. Potemkin’s Garden” is located in the western part of the park and is one of the components of the “ Druzhnii Garden”. After conducting an inventory of woody plants, it was found that the plantings of the Potemkin Garden are represented by 19 species belonging to 2 divisions — Pinophyta (2 species from 2 families and 2 genera) and Magnoliophyta (17 species from 13 families and 16 genera). The dimensions of Potemkin' s garden were specified, the boundaries of Potemkin' s garden were delineated, the center of the flowerbed, the foundation of the rotunda and the walls of the garden were excavated, and the road surface was marked.

British soldiers at Imandra station in 1919: a historical commentary on one photo

The article contains an interpretation of one photo of the British interventionists, taken in 1919 at the Imandra station, from the State Archive of the Murmansk region. The historical commentary is based on the study of a wide range of sources. It includes a description of the British soldiers, their position in the hierarchy of the British army in 1919, the conditions of their stay on Murman, a description of their uniforms, as well as the building near which the photo was taken, which has survived to the present time. According to the author, the Imandra station is an integral part of the Khibiny historical landscape associated with the time of the Civil War and the intervention.

Topografia archeologica a Corbetta e Albairate Modificazioni del paesaggio, ricerca e pianificazione territoriale

This paper presents some considerations elaborated as part of a topographic study on the territories of Corbetta and Albairate, in the western province of Milan (Lombardy). The data resulting from LiDAR DTM analysis and from field surveys, together with literature-based assumptions, suggest varying levels of conservation of the historical landscape and of destruction of the archaeological record. In addition, it is also possible to ponder the causes of such phenomena. In this context, the archaeological cartography plays a key role for further research and for the protection of historical landscape and cultural heritage.

I piloni votivi nella Val Sangone Un’eredità culturale e identitaria per l’identificazione del paesaggio storico

Twenty years after the signing of the European Landscape Convention, the need to recognise and protect the identity values of local communities in Italy is becoming increasingly consolidated in the collective consciousness. In particular in Piedmont, scattered in the Val Sangone, votive pylons stand out as important elements of popular culture: guardians of a religious semantics deeply rooted in local communities, dedicated to Marian worship but also to the memory of historical events, they retain the essence of local values and stand as a vestige of the historical landscape that needs to be valued and protected.

PROGRAMS FOR FORTIFICATION AREA CONSERVATION IN THE NETHERLANDS

The article is aimed at familiarizing readers and specialists with programs for the preservation of fortification territories and methods of using historical landscapes in the Netherlands, the legal aspect of preserving the remains of fortifications and terrain. The project method of integrating the territory into the tourist observation network is considered. Over the past 30 years, the Netherlands has been developing a legal framework in the intersectoral branch for the protection of a significant historical landscape, including existing or lost objects of fortification art of the XVIII and XX centuries. Reasonable protection criteria, a well-formed strategy for systematic use and subordination of the territory prevents violation of the legal framework of the monument and its physical integrity accelerates the process of developing architectural and design proposals for restoring the spatial appearance of the fortification object