Landscape evaluation Factors creating a landscape „IFLA: Place

Landscape evaluation
Factors creating a landscape
„IFLA: Place – what it looks like, what is happening there and what has been happening there.
(or alternatively, Darrel Morrisson – “there is no there there”)
Physical and biological factors
geology
relief
Hydrology
Soil conditions
organisms
Anthropogenic factors
Land use
Settlement and built environment
Historical development
Aesthetic factors
Visual – eg. scale, views and vistas, mesh size of the landscape, colors, contrast
Other – sounds, scents, taste, tactile,…
Associations
Historical – eg. Important historical events, historic settlement
Cultural – important people, art – literature, fine art, music
The process of landscape evaluation
Description – initial phase, collectiong and interpretation of
Classification – landscape is differentiated according to the determined characteristics.
individual landscapes x types of landscapes
Analysis – establishong the values of the landscape, with regard to chosen criteria
Examples of individual and typological landscape classification
Method of landscape assessment
1. initial phase – base documents, choosing methods, processing of base data
2. Analysis of the area – literature review, analysis of the characteristics of the area, overlay analysis
Method of landscape assessment
3. Field studies, sampling
4. Presentation of results – evaluation, consultation with specialists and the public,
recommendations
Purpose of landscape assessment
For studies, generels, landscape plans, masterplans
Grants of the EU, environmental agencies, ministries
Purpose of landscape assessment
Landscape management
Specialized reports – EIA, assessment of impact on landscape character
Other – research projects,...
According to puropose - various focus, level of detail, form of presentation of the results,...
Objectivity of the assessment
Personal judgments and perceptions x exact methods
x Aesthetic values – but even these can be objectified (broader consent, aesthetic norms, authorized
specialists).
Related terms
Landscape unit
a relatively homogenous part of the landscape (from a given standpoint)
Scale
Changes in landscape characteristics are not gradual – steps.
On different levels, different factors are dominant. Eg., geomorphology x landcover.
Assessment of natural characteristics of the landscape
Climate
Macroclimate – is not affected by the active surface of the Earth
-> bioms (character and annual course of the macroclimate)
Climate
The influence of the sea – moisture moderates the extremes
According to humidity – humid, arid, nival
Mezoclimate – smaller areas (town, valley,...)
partly affected by active Earth surface (relief, vegetation, large water bodies)
also by anthropogenic impacts (deforestation, air pollution, drainage)
Microclimate – determined by microtopography, vegetation, ...
Relief
Relief of the Earth (georelief) is created by internal and external geomorphologic processes
tectonics
erosion
sedimentation
movement of glaciers
Relief is one of the major factors determining the potential (natural) state of the landscape
Affects soils, hydrological characteristics, mezo- and microclimate and vegetation
“Genetically consistent areas” – consistent appearance, slope, orientation
Areas
Flat, concave, convex
Level, moderately sloping, …cliffs
orientation (slope 2° and more): N, S, E, W
Edges
Ridgeline, valley line, foothill, ...
Shapes
Convex – mound, hill, mountain, peak, ridge, mountain range,...
Concave - Konkávní – valley, basin/dell, ravine,...
Flat - plain, plateau
Types of relief
Lowland(0-200/300m, flat relief)
Highland (200/300 m +, hilly relief.
Geological characteristics
For landscape plnning, the most important geol.characteristic is the substrate (pedogenic substrate),
ie the top layer of litosphere
geests, sediments
Texture, structure, resistance to weathering, chmical composition, permeability, grooundwater
characteristics, ...
Soil
A living system
Specific layers, morphology, production potential
Soil evolution – substrate, relief, climate, biotic (anthropogenic) factor
94% mineral components, 6% organic, out of which 85% dead, 8,5 % roots, 6,5% edafon (bacteria,
micro-, mezo-, macro- and megafauna)
Soil classification
Taxonomic categories. E.g. soil types (soils with similar combination of soil horizons), subtypes,
varieties
Soil class – according to particle size
Scan – tabulka str 44
Complex survey of agricultural soils
Whole area of the Czech Republic
1961-1971, cca 2 mil. soil samples
Soil maps, cartograms, management proposals
BPEJ – Czech soil classification system
5- digit BPEJ code:
1st digit – climatic region
2.-3rd.: main soil unit
4.: slope + orientation
5.: topsoil depth + proportion of rocks
Example – code BPEJ 0-03-20:
Climatic region very warm, dry
Chernozems evolved mainly from loess
Moderate slope, southern orientation
Deep soil, without rocks
Forestry soil classification
Forest vegetation zone
Trophicity, hydricity
Potential natural forest communities
Water
Hydrological cycle – precipitation, surface runoff (1/3), subsurface runoff (1/3) and
evapotranspiration (1/3)
Short x long hydrological cycle
Hydrological regime (flow regime). Precipitation, evaporation (altitude), relief, geologic and
pedologic characteristics, vegetation, waterbodies, ...
Precipitation
Liquid (rain, fog, dew) and solid (snow, hail, frost)
Long-term average precipitation amounts (CZ 410-1700 mm/year), precipitation amounts per period
Isohyets
Rainstorms – their characteristics are important for calculation of maximum flow, design of soil
protection measures etc.
Evaporation
From water surface, snow and ice, evapotranspiration (up to 200l/ tree/day)
Influenced by surface temperature, air humidity, wind, atmospheric pressure and precipitation
Subsurface water
Bound chemically, physically-chemically or mechanically.
hydrologically significant water is that which takes part in the hydrological cycle
Groundwater, soil water
Surface water
watercourses, lakes, artificial water bodies, glaciers, snow cover
Watercourse of I., II., III.,… degree
Surface runoff
Caused by gravity
1/ phase of soil saturation
2/ phase of slope runoff
3/ phase of concentrated runoff in the hydrological network
N-year flows
Flood wave – volume, culmination flow, shape
Minimum balanced flow – ensuring the conditions for the life of organisms and use of water by man
Hydrological balance
Watershed/catchment
Watershed
watershed boundary
closing profile of a watercourse
Water retention, accumulation, retardation
Runoff coeficient