Assessing Landscape Instability through Land-Cover Change Based on the Hemeroby Index (Lithuanian Example)

Agnė Jasinavičiūtė and Darijus Veteikis
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Agnė Jasinavičiūtė: Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, Institute of Geosciences, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, Lithuania
Darijus Veteikis: Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, Institute of Geosciences, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, Lithuania

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 7, 1-18

Abstract: The increasing anthropogenic impact on landscapes globally has increased interest in assessing landscape naturalness. This study assessed the changes in land cover in Lithuania and identified the most common reasons for land-use change. Coordination of Environment Information (CORINE) land-cover data were used to assess the changes in land cover naturalness in Lithuania from 1995 to 2018. Land-cover types were ranked according to the hemeroby index, ranging from natural landscape with no human impact to anthropogenic landscapes with excessively strong human impact. Land use trends in Lithuania were related to agricultural and forestry activities. During the analysed period, these areas decreased by as much as 11.19%, and the number of areas with a particularly strong impact from human activities also decreased. Land cover naturalness did increase in areas less suitable for agriculture. The impact of human activities on the naturalness of the landscape needs to be explored in detail at the local level, which should be followed by appropriate spatial-planning decisions to ensure ecological balance through as many sustainable solutions as possible, especially with the European Commission adoption the European Green Deal.

Keywords: land-use change; naturalness; hemeroby index; CORINE; landscape assessment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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