Ecological Indicators (Sep 2024)
Quality indexes of land ownership and land cover as indicators of small lake catchment degradation
Abstract
Changes in land ownership, generally resulting in changes in land cover and progressive fragmentation of catchments, often result in the inability to take pro-environmental measures. The aim of this paper is to assess the impact of land ownership on the environmental status of small, but environmentally valuable lake catchments. The study of environmental quality in terms of ownership and land cover was conducted in lake catchments located in the central part of the West Polesie Transboundary Biosphere Reserve. In total, the ownership type was determined for 5661 plots and the land cover type was determined for 2502 subdivisions. The quality of the analysed elements of the study catchments was subjected to expert evaluation using a modified Stapel Scale and was presented using two Qualitative Indexes proposed: Land Cover [Lc] and Land Ownership [Lo]. The obtained values of Index Lc ranged from −0.18 to +1.97, and Index Lo from −1.87 to +2.00. Application of the Average Land Quality Index [LQ], in turn, made it possible to randomise the environmental quality of the analysed catchments, for which it was from −1.02 to +1.99 (areas of very good and very poor environmental quality, respectively). The analyses indicated, for example, catchments that were significantly degraded because of a very large number of private plots in their area − in the five analysed catchments, this ranged from 505 to 719 and their average area was 0.19–1.10 ha. It is noteworthy that very unfavourable land ownership conditions and land cover structure were found in the Poleski National Park catchments – the area with the highest protection status. The proposed assessment system can be used for preliminary analysis of actual and potential threats to lake catchments so as to indicate possible directions of conservation measures and their sensibility.
