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TOWARDS THE HETEROGENEITY OR HOMOGENEITY OF MINING LANDSCAPE? A CASE STUDY FROM SLOVAKIA
Abstract
Landscape development is a long-term process influenced by many factors. It is primarily affected by human society and its impact is constantly growing which is also reflected in natural processes. Spatial heterogeneity is considered one of the decisive factors of biodiversity as well as ecological stability. The aim of the paper is an analysis and assessment of land use changes and landscape heterogeneity in the town of HandlovГЎ and municipalities of RГЎzto?no and Cige? which are located in Western Slovakia. The study area is characterized by long-term subsurface exploitation of brown coal and lignite and surface exploitation of dolomite and andesite. Two time horizons were chosen for the analysis of land use changes - years 2000 and 2015. The basis for the analysis of land use in the mentioned years were orthophotos where different categories of land use were digitized using geographic information systems (GIS). Heterogeneity of the study area was assessed by using the grid-based method in GIS. The maps of land use were overlaid with a grid consisting of 2076 squares where the size of each square was 250x250 m. The occurrence of individual land use categories in every square of the grid was subsequently quantified and analyzed. The results of the analysis point to landscape homogeneity rather than greater heterogeneity in the study area. The number of squares with the occurrence of 2-7 land use categories decreased. On the contrary, the number of squares with the occurrence of 1 land use category increased during the studied period. It is caused especially by gradual decline in mining as well as economic activities in the study area and recovery of natural landscape elements which increase its ecological stability.
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