environmental mapping Ferjan Ormeling Glossary of terms l Environment: geographical circumstances that influence (preserve, ameliorate, deteriorate) the human ecological system l Ecology: study of organisms, their environment and the interactions between the two l Ecosystem: system of organisms and their environment, consisting of both biotic and abiotic factors l Environmental mapping: collection, processing and presenting data on the environment l Environmental maps: static/dynamic -- Element maps/composite maps/synthesis maps Glossary of terms, cont. -Environmental maps: maps visualising the distribution of and the spatial relationships between the various aspects (objects, phenomena) of the environment -Environmental maps (Leszczycki): -maps describing the environment of an area -maps of the degree of transformation of the environment -maps of the degradation and pollution of the environment -maps of the natural cataclysms of the environment Glossary of terms, cont. l Environmental GIS: GIS filled with environmental datasets l Environmental atlas: conscious combination of environmental datasets made compatible and comparable to each other based on specific narrative/objective l Map functions: subdivision of maps based on their objectives l Map types: subdivision of maps based on their construction principles l Map categories: subdivision of maps based on their contents Glossary of terms, cont Map functions:-descriptive/management -evaluative -monitoring/forecasting -decision making (forecast+evaluation) -analysis/communication -cognition/insight -education -propaganda always in combination with visualisation Map categories (contents) -geology -landscape -water resources -climate -vegetation -fauna -cultural history -pollution -types of conservation measures Aims of environmental mapping: -visualise conflict situations, -provide insight in possible impact of man-made developments, -explain environmental situations -compute surface areas, border lengths or ratio's -communicate views -monitor processes -serve as arguments in decision support systems -serve as analysis tool Start of environmental mapping in the 1960s: Pollution maps and inventory maps Pollution maps -aquatic -air -soil -Analytical environment maps of small areas -Single element mapping non-compatibel Single elements maps l Distribution of Dactylis glomerata over Warrickshire according to habitat: woodland, hedgerow, scrub, bog, roadside, waste places, waterside (1960) Pollution maps Water pollution map 1973, based on O[2] saturation, NH[3] % and biochemical O[2] use Black triangle: sewage treatment plant Sensor networks Sensor maps l SO2 concentration on the basis of national sensor network (isoline map) and incidental sensor car route (3D) l February 18, 1976, 15.00 GMT Mapping change/monitoring Lichen deserts 1950-74 (Flechte-Wüste 1950-1974) Integration of environmental aspects (1970s) and evaluation Example: Kromme Rijn area, Southeast Utrecht prov. Demonstration how, uniformly, data should be collected and processed for ecological evaluation, on the basis of rarity and diversity of soil and vegetation types Soil map 1:50 000 Soil units and depth of water table Soil diversity Vegetation map 1:50 000 Greens: Grass Red and Yellows: Forests Pinks: Heaths Browns Arable land,tree nurseries +waste-lands Evaluation map For every grid cell, diversity values and rarity values are combined Evaluation map: legend E Evaluation criteria -rarity -type diversity -structure diversity -maturity -irreplaceability -vulnerability -susceptibility Criticism on environmental mapping in the 60s and 70s - encroachment on non-highly evaluated areas - use by the un-initiated Result, end of 70s: -Environmental mapping went underground -systematic and continuous collection of all environmental data, and -storage in environmental database, only to be used by experts. Dangers? Summary l Evolution 1960-1980: -small to large areas -incidental to systematic -element maps to integrated maps -inflation in terminology -increased use of environmental maps -parochial effects Topics of Discussion l Construction of environmental information systems -at local level -at provincial level -at state level l Compatibility -scale -geographical -topical l Clarity of overall objectives Environmental mapping projects on local, regional and national bases l Aalten Municipality project (previously) l National forestry inventory (previously) l National landscape ecological mapping LKN l National project "the scale of the landscape" l Waterland l Provincial emergency mapping projects Local initiatives -Detailed, ad hoc -Environmental Impact Reports/Assessment Studies Example Aalten municipality: l Inventory of all point, line and area elements of the vegetation l Location, species, age, status (present/future), quality (healthy/diseased) l Survey in 1x1 km squares Point, line and area elements Survey of landscape elements Register mit Inventar der Punkt-, Linien- und Areal- elementen Selektion von Elementen oder Kombinationen summary l Inventories are most time consuming: make use of existing inventories that can be modified/adapted like topographic maps l Make sure graphical qualities are adequate for the applications envisaged. l Make people aware of the data quality: what inaccuracies are caused by the selected processing procedures? Indicate the types of use the maps are suitable for. l Data needs in a European framework: compatibility and comparability for agricultural subsidies etc > Corine Next Steps l Development of models (cf North Sea) l How to collect the environmental data and geo-reference them properly l How to store them in a GIS, taking account of the envisaged uses and resultant query types l How to visualise them l How to use them Landscape ecological mapping in the Netherlands Lkn-detailed sources test area: north part Utrecht province Inventory map examples l Groundwater table per 2x2km grid cell l % forest which allows for rapid l Soils, etc estimation Forests, soils Susceptibility maps l Susceptibility of soils to fertilizer l Susceptibility of flora to groundwater lowering l Susceptibility of soils to exhaustion l Susceptibility of fauna to habitat fragmentation l etc Examples of susceptibility maps Diversity or rarity maps l Vulnerability maps Areas that are both susceptible and rare are vulnerable!! This map: Vulnerability of flora to groundwater lowering Application of landscape ecological mapping system l Determination of route of high velocity rail system (TGV) Application of landscape ecological mapping system Determination of route of high velocity rail system (TGV) Vulnerability to fragmentation of mammal habitat (l) and birds to traffic increase Number of cells affected for the three proposed routes Applications The system enables quick, systematic, country-wide and flexible use of landscape-ecological data for decision support, evaluation and scientific research. It enables to match a-biotic and biotic data and deduce consequences of specific interventions. The data can be applied for: -various forms of land evaluation (susceptibility-, vulnerability- and suitability maps); -generating areal subdivisions; -interpretation and generalisation of monitoring-data; -prediction models for scenario analyses; -evaluation models and large environmental impact reports Dominant geomorphological influences Dominant soil units Id Characte-ristic earth science patterns Rare earth science values (Seltenheits-karte) changes in earth-science values Ecological evaluation l On the basis of the soil map the potential vegetation can be determined (climax vegetation) l On the basis of the vegetation map the actual vegetation can be determined l By comparing the actual to the potential vegetation ecological values can be assigned (the lower the value the further away from climax vegetation) l Bonus points can be added for occurrences of rare species l But, if we want to protect our typical landscapes there is more than only natural aspects: Evaluation of cultural artefacts l Archeological monuments l Farm types, important from a construction point of view l Castles, historical fortifications l Mills l Special landscapes - parcellation type - relation of farm building to parcels - types of boundary structures Landgüter Historical-geographical values Another project: The scale of the landscape: GIS with scale characteristics of the Dutch landscape l How to measure spatial characteristics of landscape? l Assess relationships between the patterns of visual vertical and horizontal boundaries l Data: vegetation, buildings, cadastral boundaries, infrastructure and its locations l Sources: topographic maps, aerial photographs (vertical and oblique), horizontal photographs -`small scale' area: one cannot see far -`large scale' landscape: one can see over large distances (1000 ha) (typical for Dutch landscape, but only 18% of territory) The scale of the landscape: sources The scale of the landscape: sources 2 The scale of the landscape: sources processing of topographic maps by high- lighting the relevant elements and measuring them per grid cell Similar procedures also followed for geomorphologi- cal information system The scale of the landscape: output The scale of the landscape: output Length of linear elements in km or surface of areal elements in ha Ruimtegrootte in ha Relative open-ness of landscapes Open-ness of areal elements, (with few to many vertical elements) AHN -- hypsometric file: 1 measurement per 16m^2 Other projects/databases l Waterland l Cultural historic GIS l Risk maps l Meetnet/measuring network Waterland : water capacity and velocity Waterland water gauges Waterland coast Waterland wave height gauging station Cultuurhistorisch GIS Utrecht Cultuurhistorisch GIS Utrecht Risk map Utrecht Risk map Utrecht Meetnet landschap / LandscapeMonitoring system l Measurement of people's landscape perception l Monitoring changes in characteristic cultural historic elements l Local checking (schouw) l Monitoring changes in characteristic earth science patterns Meetnet landschap / LandscapeMonitoring system (cont.) l Defining identifying scale characteristics l Monitoring characteristic ecological patterns l Monitoring changes in land use Meetnet landschap / LandscapeMonitoring system (cont.) l Measurement systems for biodiversity l Measurement system for the quality of the ecological main structure l Cultgis: cultural-historical GIS + TDN l AKIS Earth Science information system (+AHN) l VIRIS (visual spatial information system (classification of landscape on the basis of vertical elements per 1km grid cells) l Ecological landscape index (+LGN) Phases of Environmental mapping l Development of models (cf North Sea) l Integrating measurement systems l Development of automated checking systems (AHN,TDN,LGN) l From national to Europe-wide level Scale aspects