Abstract
Landscape metrics have been used for years in research on the evolution of landscapes. They are also important in the process of monitoring changes taking place in the functional and spatial structure of rural areas. The main aim of this article is to assess the transformation of the rural landscape of the Puchaczów commune, which is based on a comparative analysis of selected landscape metrics. In the Puchaczów commune, due to the availability of raw materials, a mining industry has developed, which has a decisive influence on the development of the region. The study included schemes of the commune’s land cover from four periods: the pre-war period, the 1960s and the 1970s (i.e., shortly before the construction of the hard coal mine), 1990–2000, and 2020. Then, for the given time frames, with the help of the FRAGSTATS version 4.2 program, the following landscape indicators were calculated: the percentage of the landscape coverage by particular land cover units, the number of patches, the mean class area, the Shannon diversity index, and the Simpson diversity index. A comparative analysis of landscape metrics showed that the landscape of the Puchaczów commune was constantly transformed in the years 1937–2020. Despite the decrease in the area of agricultural land, agricultural production remains the dominant function of the commune. The percentage of industrial areas is the smallest, but the metric values do not reflect the enormous environmental impact of the mine. A broader description of the changes taking place in the landscape of the Puchaczów commune can therefore be obtained only by combining research with the use of landscape metrics and analyses of the impact of land cover units on the environment.
Highlights
IntroductionThe development of rural areas has always been associated with natural conditions
The development of rural areas has always been associated with natural conditions.In the past, the landscape predominantly determined the development of settlement and agricultural functions
The figure presents the percentage of land cover in the form of a diagram
Summary
The development of rural areas has always been associated with natural conditions. The landscape predominantly determined the development of settlement and agricultural functions. Until the land reform in Poland in 1944, the shaping of the spatial structure of the village was strongly related to the existence of land estates, the center of which was a manor house with an associated farm. Due to the nature of the changes, two stages are noticeable in the history of the development of the Polish countryside: traditional and contemporary. Until the second half of the twentieth century, a traditional village functioned, mainly characterized by agricultural activity. Since the 1990s, i.e., after the systemic changes in Poland, a strong trend of promoting the multifunctional development of rural areas has been noticeable [3,4]
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