Zmiany lesistości w Dolinie Ochotnicy w XIX-XX w. na podstawie materiałów kartograficznych

Abstract

The aim of this study is the analysis of the dynamics of changes in forest cover in the Ochotnica Valley, located in the Gorce Mts (Polish Western Carpathians), in the period 1879-2015. ‚Forest cover’ (woodiness) is understood as the percentage ratio of surface area of forest cover to total surface area. Analysis was conducted in ArcGIS on the basis of historical cartographic sources (maps from 1879, 1934, 1978) and contemporary data (orthophotomap from 2015), and a digital elevation model from 2013. This allowed the quantitative and spatial analysis of changes in the forest coverage of the study area on one hand, and an attempt to analyse the occurrence of forests in relation to the topography (slopes, aspects and altitudes) on the other. As a result of the conducted analysis, it was concluded that proportion of forests in the research area in the analyzed time period has doubled (from 36% in 1879 to 72% in 2015). This growth was caused mainly by changes in the agricultural system of the village and by discontinuing the traditional pastoral economy.