environmental mapping Ferjan Ormeling n Environment: geographical circumstances that influence (preserve, ameliorate, deteriorate) the human ecological system n Environmental mapping: collection, processing and presenting data on the environment 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-compatible Single elements maps n 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 n SO2 concentration on the basis of national sensor network (isoline map) and incidental sensor car route (3D) n February 18, 1976, 15.00 GMT 1970s: Integration of environmental aspects 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 schema 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 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? Local initiatives 1980s: -Detailed, ad hoc -Environmental Impact Reports/Assessment Studies Example Aalten municipality: n Inventory of all point, line and area elements of the vegetation n Location, species, age, status (present/future), quality (healthy/diseased) n Survey in 1x1 km squares Point, line and area elements Survey of landscape elements Register mit Inventar der Punkt-, Linien- und Areal- elementen Selection of Elementes or Combinations NATIONAL INITIATIVES: landscape-ecological mapping Lkn-detailed sources test area: north part Utrecht province Inventory map examples n Groundwater table per 2x2km grid cell n % forest which allows for rapid n Soils, etc estimation Susceptibility maps n Susceptibility of soils to fertilizer n Susceptibility of flora to groundwater lowering n Susceptibility of soils to exhaustion n Susceptibility of fauna to habitat fragmentation n etc Diversity or rarity maps n Vulnerability maps Areas that are both susceptible and rare are vulnerable!! This map: Vulnerability of flora to groundwater lowering Dominant geomorphological influences Dominant soil units Id Overview of this Ecological evaluation n On the basis of the soil map the potential vegetation can be determined (climax vegetation) n On the basis of the vegetation map the actual vegetation can be determined n By comparing the actual to the potential vegetation ecological values can be assigned (the lower the value the further away from climax vegetation) n Bonus points can be added for occurrences of rare species n But, if we want to protect our typical landscapes there is more than only natural aspects: Evaluation of cultural artefacts n Archeological monuments n Farm types, important from a construction point of view n Castles, historical fortifications n Mills n Special landscapes - parcellation type - relation of farm building to parcels - types of boundary structures Example: Historical-geographical values Example: Length of linear elements in km or surface of areal elements in ha Ruimtegrootte in ha Relative open-ness of landscapes Other projects/databases n Cultural historic GIS n Risk maps Cultuurhistorisch GIS Utrecht Cultuurhistorisch GIS Utrecht Risk map Utrecht Risk map Utrecht Phases of Environmental mapping n Development of models n Integrating measurement systems n Development of automated checking systems (AHN,TDN,LGN) n From national to Europe-wide level