Comparative analysis of the impact of slope inclination and altitude on long-term land use changes in Czechia

Abstract

The aim of this article is to compare the effects of altitude and slope inclination on the spatial distribution of selected categories of land use.This study is based on Czechia's LUCC database 1845-1948-1990-2000.The database contains nearly 9,000 basic territorial units (BTUs) and 8 LUCC categories that can be compared in all of the time periods mentioned. For the purpose of calculating the average altitude and slope inclination of all BTUs, a digital terrain model (DTM) of Czechia was created using interpolation methods. The average altitude and slope inclination of each BTU constituted the primary input variables for the correlation analysis. The strength of the relationship between these factors and the relevant categories was examined. Evidence concerning the increasing significance of inclination In the spatial distribution of arable land and grasslands after 1948 may be the most important finding. While in 1845, the first year in the database, altitude basically determined the location of arable land; after the World War II, there was a turn in this trend. Mainly in connection with the development of agro-industrial forms (the introduction of modern heavy machinery, the automation of modern cultivation methods, etc.), inclination became more important in determining the abandonment of arable land.