A stepwise multi-scaled landscape typology and characterisation for trans-regional integration, applied on the federal state of Belgium

Abstract

The new landscape typology of Belgium fits into the European Landscape Convention to characterise contemporary landscapes in a trans-regional and trans-border perspective. The method uses a combination of holistic and parametric approaches at two scale levels, resulting in two different landscape typologies. Four datasets covering Belgium were used: a DTM, CORINE Land Cover, a soil map, and a satellite image. Eighteen variables were defined, describing the landscape characteristics of square kilometre cells at the first scale level. These variables are used to assign a landscape type to each cell. At the second scale level, the spatial patterns formed by the grid landscape types are delineated into landscape units and described using landscape metrics. The types and patterns composition properties of the units are used in a cluster analysis to define landscape types at the second scale level. The method creates an open landscape GISdatabase enhancing the landscapes characterisation at both scale levels. The variables used to differentiate landscape types and character areas can be extended by additional descriptive variables of very different sources relating for example to regional classifications, cultural, historical, scenic properties and even iconographic documents. Thus the landscape character map is the entry to various queries.