An approach of landsenses ecology and landsenseology in Greece

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper proposes an approach for identifying and evaluating Landsense ecology and Landsenseology. The case study focuses on proper management of land uses in the wider area of Florina in Greece and on improving the inhabitants’ quality of life. The two novel concepts are associated with the preservation and further improvement of living conditions in the city. The carrier that is used is the land coverage of the wider area of the city. The methodological approach relies on ecosystem services derived from land cover. The aim is to describe the spatial distribution of basic ecosystem services, their interactions and to investigate whether they generate statistical correlations with various characteristics of the city. An analysis of twelve variables is carried out based on a hectare scale that covers the city and its surrounding area. The adopted scale is very large for such research and the relationships between variables are explored with Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Results reveal that the distribution of variables is determined by current social conditions, existing ecological structures and by past decisions. The outcome indicates that PCA can be an important tool that enables speedy processing of large quantities of data concurrently. The relationship between sustainable development and ecosystem services is analyzed in a different way and is projected into the future. This is effectively achieved by the validation of the thematic intervention routes. It is the first time the terms Landsense ecology and Landsenseology are used in Greece in order to explore a specific problem and provide appropriate answers.