The role of selected biophysical factors in long-term land-use change of cultural landscape

Abstract

The paper addresses the importance of biophysical factors in land-use change over a period of time of more than 150 years beginning in the middle of the nineteenth century. Biophysical factors define the environmental capacity of a territory and can be viewed as a predisposition for changes in land use. The article investigates the impact of selected biophysical factors on land-use changes in the Trkmanka Watershed in the southeast part of the Czech Republic. The results of a canonical correspondence analysis demonstrated a relationship between selected variables and land-use changes. The most significant variables were slope grade, elevation and soil fertility, while aspect was of limited importance. Extensification processes are conditioned on less favourable environmental circumstances, especially steeper slope grade, higher elevation, less fertile soil and a north-facing slope. Intensive land use is associated with a lower slope grade and elevation, more fertile soils and a more favourable southern exposure. Although the results of the statistical analyses confirmed the importance of environmental factors, they explain only some of the overall land-use changes. It is clear that socioeconomic factors are the main forces influencing the character of land use.