Spatial dynamics of land cover change in a Euro-Mediterranean catchment (1950–2008)

Abstract

The Euro-Mediterranean area has experienced widespread land cover change since 1950, but few studies of land cover change explicitly explore spatial constraints on land cover change patterns. The main objective of this study was to analyze the spatial dynamics of land cover change from 1950 to 2008 in a French Mediterranean catchment. Aerial photographs (1950, 1982, and 2008) were screen digitized, and surfaces were classified into five categories: forest, vineyard, grassland, urban, and suburban. Land cover changes were concentrated mainly in the alluvial plain. Although forest remained the dominant land cover in the catchment (>85.0%), it underwent significant swapping with vineyard and grassland. Vineyard decreased (34% of initial loss) while grassland increased (43% of initial). Urban and suburban areas remained minor in the catchment (0.2% in 1950 and 3.0% in 2008), but showed a dramatic relative increase (about 20×). Changes occurred mainly at low altitudes and slopes. Vineyard located near streams was converted mainly to grassland. Built areas were dependent on roads and former built areas for expansion but expanded little near streams due to flooding risks. The rate of change was greater during the latter part of the study (1982–2008) than in the earlier phase (1950–1982).