Relief and values of landscape metrics – a case study from the Tatra Mts Cover Image

Ukształtowanie powierzchni terenu a wartości metryk krajobrazowych w górach wysokich na przykładzie Tatr
Relief and values of landscape metrics – a case study from the Tatra Mts

Author(s): Jan Niedźwiecki, Natalia Kolecka
Subject(s): Cultural Essay, Political Essay, Societal Essay
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego
Keywords: landscape metrics; high mountain landscape; Tatra Mountains; 3D approach

Summary/Abstract: The aim of the authors was to compare values of 2D and 3D landscape metrics in high mountains. The first part of the work takes into consideration the spatial structure of vegetation (the rank of landscape facias/ecotopes) of Kocioł Goryczkowy Świński, which was investigated in 1999 by Anna Kozłowska and Anna Jakomulska. The calculation of landscape metrics is resumed using the true surface geometries and compared with the result of traditional measurements on a reference plane. In the second part of the paper, a set of commonly used landscape metrics is calculated for the geocomplexes (rank of uroczysko unit) in the Morskie Oko catchment using both true surface and plain geometries. Finally average surface roughness is computed for the both study areas and some remarks for landscape metrics computed for geometric fields are given. The comparison shows that appropriate 2D and 3D metrics may differ significantly. Moreover, there is a strong correlation between the size of the discrepancy and the surface slope. For that reason, it is very important to distinguish between 2D and 3D metrics and to use them consciously, according to the particular problem.

  • Issue Year: 2011
  • Issue No: 128
  • Page Range: 81-98
  • Page Count: 22
  • Language: Polish