Analysing agricultural landscape change in a marginal European landscape [Elektronische Ressource] / presented by Birgit Reger

Informations

• Publié par: justus-liebig-universitat_giessen
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2008
• Nombre de lectures: 17
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Analysing agricultural landscape change
in a marginal European landscape








Birgit Reger

















Division of Landscape Ecology and Landscape Planning
Justus-Liebig-University Giessen
- Division of Landscape Ecology and Landscape Planning -
Institute of Landscape Ecology and Resource Management



Analysing agricultural landscape change
in a marginal European landscape



Dissertation submitted to the
Faculty 09
Agricultural Sciences, Nutritional Sciences and Environmental Management
Justus-Liebig-University Giessen

for the degree of
Doctor agriculturae (Dr. agr.)


presented by
Dipl.-Ing. Birgit Reger

Giessen, May 2008

Dean: Prof. Dr. Roland Herrmann

Accepted on the recommendation of
Prof. Dr. Dr. Annette Otte, examiner
AR Dr. Gabriel Schachtel, co-examiner

Further members of the examination board:
Prof. Dr. Ernst-August Nuppenau (chair)
Prof. Dr. Hans-Georg Frede
Prof. Dr. Tamas Harrach Date of defence: August 12, 2008
List of publications
The thesis ‘Analysing agricultural landscape change in a marginal European landscape’ is
based on the following three papers:
1. Reger, B., Otte, A., Waldhardt, R., 2007. Identifying patterns of land-cover change
and their physical attributes in a marginal European landscape. Landscape and Urban
Planning 81, 104-113.
2. Reger, B., Mattern, T., Otte, A., Waldhardt, R., in press. Assessing the spatial
distribution of grassland age in a marginal European landscape. Journal of
Environmental Management.
3. Reger, B., Sheridan, P., Simmering, D., Otte, A., Waldhardt, R., submitted. Potential
effects of direct transfer payments on farmland habitat diversity in a marginal
European landscape. Environmental Management.

Author’s contribution:
In paper 1, I performed the data preparation and had the main responsibility for data analysis
and writing. The co-authors contributed to the planning of the study and gave valuable
comments.
In paper 2, I developed the approach, prepared and analysed the data, and was responsible for
the writing. The first co-author performed the aerial photograph interpretation. The second
and third co-authors provided helpful ideas and criticism.
In paper 3, I had the main responsibility for data analysis and writing while the first co-author
performed the land-use modelling. The other co-authors contributed constructive suggestions
and helpful comments.

Paper 1 and 2 were reprinted in this multiple-paper thesis with permission from Elsevier Ltd.

ii CONTENTS

Contents
List of publications.....................................................................................................................ii
Contents.....................................................................................................................................iii
List of figures ............................................................................................................................ vi
List of tables.............................................................................................................................vii
1. General introduction............................................................................................................ 1
1.1 Background..... 1
1.1.1 Marginal agricultural landscapes .............................................................................. 1
1.1.2 Landscape change research ....................................................................................... 3
1.2 Objectives......................................................................................................................... 5
2. Study area ............................................................................................................................. 7
3. Materials and methods....................................................................................................... 10
3.1 Data sets and data pre-processing .................................................................................. 10
3.2 Cluster analysis .............................................................................................................. 12
3.3 GIS-based data analysis ................................................................................................. 13
3.4 Statistical data analysis................................................................................................... 15
4. Identifying patterns of land-cover change and their physical attributes in a
marginal European landscape........................................................................................... 17
4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 17
4.2 Study area....................................................................................................................... 20
4.3 Materials and methods ................................................................................................... 22
4.3.1 Historical land cover at the district scale ................................................................ 22
4.3.2 Current land cover 22
4.3.3 Physical landscape data........................................................................................... 22
4.3.4 Data analysis ........................................................................................................... 24
4.4 Results ............................................................................................................................ 25
4.4.1 Types of land-cover patterns and dynamics (TLPDs)............................................. 25
4.4.2 Characterisation of TLPDs by physical landscape attributes.................................. 28
iii CONTENTS

4.5 Discussion ...................................................................................................................... 29
4.5.1 Types of land-cover patterns and dynamics............................................................ 29
4.5.2 Database and methodology ..................................................................................... 31
4.5.3 Conclusions ............................................................................................................. 32
5. Assessing the spatial distribution of grassland age in a marginal European
landscape ............................................................................................................................. 33
5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 34
5.2 Materials and methods ................................................................................................... 35
5.2.1 Study area. 35
5.2.2 Methodological approach........................................................................................ 37
5.3 Results ............................................................................................................................ 42
5.3.1 Age structure in TLPDs and physical attributes of the investigated patches .......... 42
5.3.2 Extrapolation of grassland age at the district scale ................................................. 44
5.3.3 Validation of extrapolation results .......................................................................... 45
5.4 Discussion ...................................................................................................................... 46
5.4.1 Methodological approach 46
5.4.2 Grassland age structure ........................................................................................... 49
5.5 Conclusions .................................................................................................................... 50
6. Potential effects of direct transfer payments on farmland habitat diversity in a
marginal European landscape 53
6.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 54
6.2 Study area....................................................................................................................... 55
6.3 Materials and methods ................................................................................................... 56
6.3.1 Land-use pattern in 1995......................................................................................... 56
6.3.2 Transfer payment schemes...................................................................................... 56
6.3.3 Spatial implementation of the transfer payment schemes....................................... 57
6.3.4 Farmland habitat patterns ........................................................................................ 58
6.3.5 Habitat diversity indices.......................................................................................... 59
6.4 Results ............................................................................................................................ 61
6.4.1 Habitat patter