Geografie 2024, 129, 435-456
The development, current state, and evaluation of landscape fragmentation in Czechia
, Ivo Dostál3, Dušan Romportl1
1Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Prague, Czechia
2The Silva Tarouca Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental Gardening, Průhonice, Czechia
3Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Informatics, Department of Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Nitra, Slovakia
Received March 2024
Accepted November 2024
Landscape fragmentation refers to the division of originally continuous landscapes into smaller, disconnected segments. This study aims to assess the current state of and trends in landscape fragmentation in Czechia using the Effective Mesh Size metric, with a particular focus on the role of migration corridors. The analysis considers anthropogenic factors, including road networks and urban areas, with fragmentation measurements taken on a regular grid of square cells. Four different fragmentation scenarios (A, B, C, D) were created, reflecting combinations of current conditions, projected future states, and the presence of migration corridors. Results indicate a slight increase in landscape fragmentation since the 1920s, with the Effective Mesh Size reaching an average of 36.9 km2 (median of 15.2 km2) in 2022. The impact of migration corridors was found to be significant only in their immediate surroundings, decreasing with distance.
Keywords
landscape fragmentation, Effective Mesh Size, landscape permeability, Czechia, anthropogenic infrastructure.
Funding
This article was supported by the project SVV 244-2606941.
