Cartographic Data Research Articles

Constraint-Based Spatial Data Management for Cartographic Representation at Different Scales

This article elaborates on map-quality evaluation and assessment as a result of the generalization of geospatial data through the development of a methodology, which incorporates a quality data model including constraints. These constraints are used to guide the generalization process and they operate as requirements in quality controls applied for the quality evaluation and assessment of the resulting cartographic data. The quality model stores the required map specifications compiled as constraints, and provides quality measures along with new techniques for the evaluation and assessment of cartographic data quality. This secures the map composition process in each and every step and for all features involved, at any map scale. The methodology developed results in the creation of a scale-dependent cartographic database that contains exclusively the features to be portrayed on the map, generalized properly according to the map scale. It will reduce cartographers’ need to review each transformation throughout the map-composition process with considerable savings in time and money and, on the other hand, it will secure the quality of the final map. The formulation of the proposed methodology amalgamates generalization theory with the authors’ research in computer-assisted cartography, taking into account the work conducted on the topic by other researchers. In this study, the quality requirements, the measures and the associated techniques together with the results of the application of the proposed methodology for area and line features are described in detail to allow others to replicate and build on the presented results.

VIA-7 Method: A seven perceptual parameters methodology for the assessment of visual impact caused by wind and solar facilities on the landscape in cultural heritage sites

Renewable energy facilities have given rise to several conflicts due to their visual impact on the environment. This is due, among others, to their proliferation, extension, and placement, often in highly visible locations.Previous methodologies used to assess the visual impact of these facilities on the landscape do not generally consider such important aspects as cultural heritage or local values.This article gives a full description of the “VIA-7 Method”, a novel methodology with a cultural emphasis, permitting the assessment of the visual impact caused by wind and solar facilities on the landscape in the vicinity of cultural heritage sites by considering seven perceptual parameters: total cultural importance of the heritage site, facility magnitude, visual incidence, total contrast, accessibility, qualitative distance and public opinion. The application of the VIA-7 Method needs of several steps to include important values of local cultural heritage into the assessment process: delimitation of the area of study and the Area of Visual Influence, preparation of the required cartographical data, analysis of the convergent visibility of the area of study, analysis of the visual quality and visual fragility of each Zone of Potential Concentration of Observers in order to calculate the partial visual impact for each one of them, weighting each partial visual impact by the survey results and a final calculation of the total visual impact. Implementation of the VIA-7 Method brings public administrations new possibilities for decisions concerning wind and solar facilities near cultural heritage sites which would be protective with the landscape.

Методология создания тактильных карт на основе интеграции геоинформационных и аддитивных технологий

The authors consider the current state of the tactile cartographic products manufacturing making the conclusion on the necessity of improving the existing techniques, as well as formalizing and automating the process of designing and further printing such maps. The authors propose a new methodological approach to creating them based on the integration of geoinformation and additive technologies. A technical solution is presented, within the framework of which a way of converting digital maps into three-dimensional models of tactile maps was developed. It has 4 stages, each one, in turn, consists of sequential operations that enable any user of the geographic information system to obtain the tactile map printed on plastic. The algorithm for conversion of digital cartographic data is implemented based on the geographic information system ArcGIS Pro, however, it is universal and can be applied to any geoinformation system that allows developing and installing the additional software modules for working with the mentioned data. Thus, the authors implemented a formalized approach to transforming digital maps into three-dimensional models of tactile ones.

Improving Heterogeneous Forest Height Maps by Integrating GEDI-Based Forest Height Information in a Multi-Sensor Mapping Process

Forests are one of the key elements in ecological transition policies in Europe. Sustainable forest management is needed in order to optimise wood harvesting, while preserving carbon storage, biodiversity and other ecological functions. Forest managers and public bodies need improved and cost-effective forest monitoring tools. Research studies have been carried out to assess the use of optical and radar images for producing forest height or biomass maps. The main limitations are the quantity, quality and representativeness of the reference data for model training. The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) mission (full waveform LiDAR on board the International Space Station) has provided an unprecedented number of forest canopy height samples from 2019. These samples could be used to improve reference datasets. This paper aims to present and validate a method for estimating forest dominant height from open access optical and radar satellite images (Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 and ALOS-2 PALSAR-2), and then to assess the use of GEDI samples to replace field height measurements in model calibration. Our approach combines satellite image features and dominant height measurements, or GEDI metrics, in a Support Vector Machine regression algorithm, with a feature selection process. The method is tested on mixed uneven-aged broadleaved and coniferous forests in France. Using dominant height measurements for model training, the cross-validation shows 7.3 to 11.6% relative Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) depending on the forest class. When using GEDI height metrics instead of field measurements for model training, errors increase to 12.8–16.7% relative RMSE. This level of error remains satisfactory; the use of GEDI could allow the production of dominant height maps on large areas with better sample representativeness. Future work will focus on confirming these results on new study sites, improving the filtering and processing of GEDI data, and producing height maps at regional or national scale. The resulting maps will help forest managers and public bodies to optimise forest resource inventories, as well as allow scientists to integrate these cartographic data into climate models.

Insights on the Early Pleistocene Hominin Population of the Guadix-Baza Depression (SE Spain) and a Review on the Ecology of the First Peopling of Europe

The chronology and environmental context of the first hominin dispersal in Europe have been subject to debate and controversy. The oldest settlements in Eurasia (e.g., Dmanisi, ∼1.8 Ma) suggest a scenario in which the Caucasus and southern Asia were occupied ∼0.4 Ma before the first peopling of Europe. Barranco León (BL) and Fuente Nueva 3 (FN3), two Early Pleistocene archeological localities dated to ∼1.4 Ma in Orce (Guadix-Baza Depression, SE Spain), provide the oldest evidence of hominin presence in Western Europe. At these sites, huge assemblages of large mammals with evidence of butchery and marrow processing have been unearthed associated to abundant Oldowan tools and a deciduous tooth ofHomosp. in the case of BL. Here, we: (i) review the Early Pleistocene archeological sites of Europe; (ii) discuss on the subsistence strategies of these hominins, including new estimates of resource abundance for the populations of Atapuerca and Orce; (iii) use cartographic data of the sedimentary deposits for reconstructing the landscape habitable in Guadix-Baza; and (iv) calculate the size of the hominin population using an estimate of population density based on resource abundance. Our results indicate that Guadix-Baza could be home for a small hominin population of 350–280 individuals. This basin is surrounded by the highest mountainous reliefs of the Alpine-Betic orogen and shows a limited number of connecting corridors with the surrounding areas, which could have limited gene flow with other hominin populations. Isolation would eventually lead to bottlenecks, genetic drift and inbreeding depression, conditions documented in the wild dog population of the basin, which probably compromised the viability of the hominin population in the medium to long term. This explains the discontinuous nature of the archeological record in Guadix-Baza, a situation that can also be extrapolated to the scarcity of hominin settlements for these ancient chronologies in Europe.

Spatio-temporal dynamics of land use / land cover in the commune of Dori

Land use / land cover is a fundamental variable for the sustainable management of resources as well as for the study and understanding of environmental phenomena. Nowadays, it has become essential in most mapping and monitoring inventories of environmental phenomena. This study aims to assess the changes affecting land use / land cover in the municipality of Dori. The methodological approach is based on the interpretation of Landsat images from three periods (1995, 2006 and 2015). Cartographic data analysis revealed a decrease in the area of natural formations by 16.86% and an increase in anthropized areas by 80%. The matrix of changes made it possible to observe that the tree steppe underwent a more marked transformation of 6.45% into shrub and grassy steppe; 1.42% in rainfed crops. The conversion of shrub / grassy steppes into mosaics of fields is notably observed with a conversion of 13.77%. The study found that human activities are the main drivers of observed changes in land use and occupation in the study area, but variability in rainfall likely also contributed to these observed changes. The results of this study therefore constitute fundamental elements that will help decision-makers in decision-making for the sustainable management of natural resources.

Mapping Submarine Geomorphology of the Philippine and Mariana Trenches By an Automated Approach Using GMT Scripts

Abstract This paper presents a geospatial analysis of two oceanic trenches using a GMT (Generic Mapping Tools) cartographic method that exploits the scripting approach to visualisation of their geometric shapes. To this end, the research applies the high-resolution datasets GEBCO and ETOPO1 and ETOPO5 for modelling of the submarine relief. This allows taking into account the 2D and 3D shape deviations in the geomorphology of the two selected segments of the trenches by transecting a series of the cross-section profiles. A scripting algorithm of spatial data processing based on the GMT techniques visualised the topography of the submarine objects in 2D and 3D forms and extracted the topographic data from raster grids for statistical analysis of depth using the cross-section transect profiles of both trenches. The bathymetry of the Mariana Trench was evaluated in the southern segment located near the Challenger Deep area, southwest of Guam Island, in comparison with the segment of the Philippine Trench, which was transected in the surroundings of Mindanao Island. The study presented a comparative submarine geomorphic modelling and spatial analysis of the Philippine Sea basin area. The bathymetric analysis of the relief in the Mariana and Philippine trenches showed effective performance of the GMT scripting toolset in advanced cartographic data analysis and visualisation.

Seismicity in the Afar Depression and Great Rift Valley, Ethiopia

Integrated mapping is essential in geological studies to assess risks of earthquake hazards. Cartographic techniques have become a commonplace approach to visualizing data in the continuous geologic and geophysical fields. However, traditional GIS mapping is a manual process with a time-consuming workflow that can lead to mistakes and misinterpretation of data. This study applied two mapping approaches to address this problem: Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) used for automated cartographic workflow employing scripts and QGIS used for traditional geologic mapping. The study area includes Ethiopia, notable for its complex geologic setting. The study aimed to analyse the relationships between the geophysical, geological, topographic and seismic setting of the country by presenting six new thematic maps:1 topography based on the GEBCO/SRTM15+ high-resolution grid;2 geological units with consistent lithology and age from the USGS database;3 geological provinces with major Amhara Plateau and Somali Province using USGS data;4 geoid based on the Earth Gravitational Model 2008 (EGM-2008) grid;5 free-air gravity anomaly model using satellite-based remote sensing data;6 seismicity showing earthquakes and volcanos from 05/03/1990 to 27/11/2020.The comparison of the topography, seismicity, geophysics and surface geology of the Afar Depression and the Great Rift Valley was based partly on extant literature on the geologic setting of Ethiopia which primarily focuses upon discussing tectonic processes that took place in the East African Rift System in the past. The current study contributes to the previous research and increases cartographic data on the geology and geophysics of Ethiopia. The outcomes can be implemented in similar regional projects in Ethiopia for geophysical and geological monitoring.

Location of Tatars’ Settlements on the Irtysh Right Bank (According to Cartographical Documents of the 18th Century)

For the first time, data was published on the location of settlements of Tatar Tara Group, on the right bank of the Irtysh River at the end of the 18th century in the territory of the modern Omsk region. This data is on previously rarely used cartographic sources (“Tabula exhibens cursum fluvii Irtisch ab Omskaja Krepost usque ad Tobolsk” 1780, Tara District 1784 and 1798). Other sources from this period were used to verify the findings (Dozornaya kniga Tarskogo uyezda, travel descriptions of Miller, etc.).Purpose. The purpose of this work will be the publication of rarely used cartographic data, their analysis for the localization of settlements of the Turkic-speaking population of the right bank of the Irtysh River in the 18th century.Results. As a result of the data analysis, information was obtained that would help to discover the remains of these objects, find out the settlement system, the features of the life support system of the system and the ethno-cultural history of the population of this region.Conclusion. Map data and written sources of the 18th century indicate that most of the settlements of the Tara Tatars at that time were located in the southern taiga zone in the coastal areas of the right bank of the Irtysh River. Their detection and research will lead to the elucidation of many processes of ethnocultural genesis of the population of Western Siberia.

ACCESSIBLE PATH FINDING FOR HISTORIC URBAN ENVIRONMENTS: FEATURE EXTRACTION AND VECTORIZATION FROM POINT CLOUDS

Abstract. Sidewalk inventory is a topic whose importance is increasing together with the widespread use of smart city management. In order to manage the city properly and to make informed decisions, it is necessary to know the real conditions of the city. Furthermore, when planning and calculating cultural routes within the city, these routes must take into account the specific needs of all users. Therefore, it is important to know the conditions of the city’s sidewalk network and also their physical and geometrical characteristics. Typically, sidewalk network are generated basing on existing cartographic data, and sidewalk attributes are gathered through crowdsourcing. In this paper, the sidewalk network of an historic city was produced starting from point cloud data. The point cloud was semantically segmented in ”roads” and ”sidewalks”, and then the cluster of points of sidewalks surfaces were used to compute sidewalk attributes and to generate a vector layer composed of nodes and edges. The vector layer was then used to compute accessible paths between Points of Interest, using QGIS. The tests made on a real case study, the historic city and UNESCO site of Sabbioneta (Italy), shows a vectorization accuracy of 98.7%. In future, the vector layers and the computed paths could be used to generate maps for city planners, and to develop web or mobile phones routing apps.

Pedra Branca off Singapore: A Historical Cartographic Analysis of a Post-Colonial Territorially Disputed Island

At the eastern entrance of the Singapore Strait lies Pedra Branca, an island of granite rock situated in hazardous waters. Its unexceptional presence belies a rich cartographical history and infamous reputation for leading ships to grief since antiquity. Pedra Branca was first pushed into the spotlight when the British constructed the Horsburgh Lighthouse in 1851. It later caught international attention when a heated territorial dispute for the island between Singapore and Malaysia arose, lasting from 1979–2018, with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) eventually granting rights to Singapore. The ensuing legal battle led to renewed interest in the geography and post-19th century history of the island. The most recent breakthrough, however, provides a glimpse into an even earlier history of Pedra Branca—and by extension, Singapore—as shipwrecked remains dating from the 14th century were uncovered in the surrounding waters. Historical research on the ancient history of Pedra Branca has been mostly neglected by scholars over the years; thus, this paper aims to shed some light on this enigmatic history of the island and at the same time establish its history and significance by utilizing pre-British-colonization historical cartographical data from as early as the 15th century.

Digital Terrain Modelling by Remotely Piloted Aircraft: Optimization and Geometric Uncertainties in Precision Coffee Growing Projects

The implantation of coffee crop plantations requires cartographic data for dimensioning areas and planning the planting line. Digital terrain models (DTMs) obtained from remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) can contribute to efficient data collection for topography making this technique applicable to precision coffee projects. Aiming to achieve efficiency in the collection, processing and photogrammetric products quality, flight configurations and image processing were evaluated. Two hundred sixty-five points obtained by Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers characterized the topographic surface. Then eighteen flight missions were carried out by RPA in the configurations of altitude above ground level (AGL) and frontal and lateral image overlay. In addition, different point cloud formats evaluated the image processing (time) efficiency in DTM. Flights performed at 120 m AGL and 80 × 80% overlap showed higher assertiveness and efficiency in generation DTMs. The 90 m AGL flight showed great terrain detail, causing significant surface differences concerning the topography obtained by GNSS. An increase in image overlap requires longer processing times, not contributing linearly to the geometric quality of orthomosaic. Slope ranges up to 20% are considered reliable for precision coffee growing projects; above 20% overestimates the slope values of the land. Changes in flight settings and image processing are satisfactory for precision coffee projects. Image overlap reduction was significant in reducing the processing time without influencing the quality of the DTMs. In addition, image processing performed in shallow point clouds did not interfere with the DTMs quality.

Prizren as a City-State under Roman-Byzantine Administration

The rule of the Roman Empire left its mark on ancient Dardania as well. At the time of the division of the empire into Roman and Byzantine, Prizren fell under the Byzantine rule. Theranda, as Prizren was called in Roman times, developed as a very important place in many spheres of life, first in trade then in administration and culture. As we know, Rome, at the time of the occupation of the new lands, compulsorily introduced both law and management and administration. The initial cartographic data for Prizren come from the Roman period, when the city with its ancient name, Theranda, is shown on Peutinger's table. Regarding the functioning of Prizren as a city-state or provincial state, according to the Kanun of Prizren of 1570, part of the Sanjak of Prizren were six kazas (districts): Prizren, Hoça, Sesrit (Neubicare), Bihor (important fortification) and Trgovishte (Rozhaje). According to Haxhi Kalfi, in the middle of the XVII century, this sanjak had Perser (Prizren) Suhareka, Havas Prizren (Gora and Opoja), Firqne (Hoqa), Bihor and Trgovishte as kadiluks. The paper treats Prizren since ancient Roman Byzantine times, Prizren as a city-state, Theranda as an important cultural trade centre and as the first administrative centre, a province of the Roman Empire.

The Negro River in the Anavilhanas Archipelago: Streamflow and geomorphology of a complex anabranching system in the Amazon

AbstractThe evolution of the fluvial landscape is the result of controls and processes that can be observed by the adjustments a river makes to its hydrological regime. The Negro River is the sixth‐largest river in the world by water volume and contains two complex anabranching systems, the Anavilhanas and Mariuá archipelagos, and despite its importance, there is a lack of hydrological survey data on its multichannel reaches. The objective of this study was to analyse the fluvial dynamics of the lower Negro River and the morphodynamics of the Anavilhanas Archipelago channels in the Amazon basin. The analysed set of fluviometric surveys and cartographic data indicated that the average water velocity and depth of the channels were the most sensitive variables for water discharge variability. In addition, the reduction in the width/depth ratio of the channels in the Anavilhanas region is associated with an increased number of islands, but not with a fluvial transport capacity increase. These landforms play an important role in modulating flood wave dynamics in the lower reach of the Negro River. Seasonal water storage occurs in the channels and lakes of the archipelago due to the backwater effect caused by the Amazon River, which is the main control in the spatiotemporal variation of water discharge along the Anavilhanas Archipelago.

Картографический анализ исторической трансформации гидронимов (на примере Крымского полуострова)

Scientific support for the reconstruction of historical transformation and recreation of lost geographical names (toponyms) makes it possible to form a spatio-temporal toponymic system, which can be considered as part of the intangible cultural heritage. One of the effective approaches to these problems can be the Application of the historical and geographical approach in toponymy, in particular, the historical and cartographic method based on the comparison of maps of different time periods. The territory of the Crimean Peninsula has long been distinguished by the multi-ethnic composition of the population, but the regional toponymy has been decisively developed from the 13th to the 18th centuries and has a Turkic basis. Mass renaming of settlements on the Crimean Peninsula (as a result of four waves of renaming in 1944–1949) was reflected in deturkification, which affected the change in the names of rivers and lakes, although to a lesser extent. The aim of this work was to establish a list of renamed (modified) autochthonous hydronyms and their transformation over two centuries by historical and geographical periods, using cartographic data. The author compiled a regional database of names of rivers and lakes (potamonyms and limnonyms), which includes 214 rivers and 42 lakes. The author also analysed the Slavic-Turkish hydronyms with their multidirectional transformations over a long period of interaction, which were reflected in cartographic sources. As a result, 68 potamonyms and 26 limnonyms were identified from the pool of proper names of rivers and lakes on the Crimean Peninsula, which from 1774 to 2000 had 77 variants of stable—less often short-term—renamed indigenous (mainly Turkic) hydronyms according to cartographic sources. Five major renaming periods reflected on the maps (1790–1800 and 1918–1945 (by 5.8 % of the total), 1841–1864 and 1956–1964 (by 4.5 %), 1953–1955 (13 %)) have been identified. The information basis (more than 90 lost hydronyms and their variants) for further toponymic (etymological, lexical, etc.) interpretations was created by using the results of a historical and cartographic study covering more than two centuries of the history of creating maps of the Crimean Peninsula.

Methodologies and prospects of historical land use/land cover studies in Lithuania

The relevance and number of land use/land cover (LULC) studies have significantly increased over recent decades. Census, statistical and cartographic data represent the main information sources for researchers. Short-term LULC change studies are improving faster and are more numerous than the long-term ones. The aim of our study was to review the available methodology for assessing changes in LULC based on historical sources. Old maps are the tool for long-term LULC studies as they allow tracking all LULC changes. However, in Lithuania, old maps are not much exploited for this purpose, which can be explained by the fact that the findings obtained using old maps are not always worth the technical and time inputs required. Our analysis revealed that only a small part of studies into LULC in Lithuania deal with the identification and analysis of LULC change trajectories. Therefore, some methods for determining LULC change trajectories are overviewed in this article, too.

РЕТРОСПЕКТИВНИЙ АНАЛІЗ ДОСЛІДЖЕНЬ РІЧКОВОЇ МЕРЕЖІ ЛІВОБЕРЕЖЖЯ СЕРЕДНЬОГО ДНІПРА ВІД ПЕРІОДУ СИСТЕМАТИЗАЦІЇ ІНФОРМАЦІЇ ПРО РІЧКИ ДО ПЕРІОДУ КОМПЛЕКСНИХ ДОСЛІДЖЕНЬ (XIX СТ. - ПОЧ. XXI СТ.)

The article presents the history of the studies of the left tributaries of the Middle Dnieper. Periodization of the researches by chronological periods from the XIXth century to the beginning of the XXIth century is developed. The author singles out 5 periods and the key stages of the river research during the corresponding period. Further continuation in time of the period of systematization of reliable information about the left tributaries of the Middle Dnieper in 1801-1820s is substantiated. Attention is paid to the described and cartographic data of this period, in particular to the “Detailed map of the Russian Empire and adjacent foreign possessions” for 1801-1804 and “Carte de la Russie Europeenne en LXXVII feuilles executee au Depot general de la Guerre” for 1812. Theories of the XIX – early XX centuries on the formation of the river valleys of the left tributaries of the Middle Dnieper are covered in detail – in the works of Nikolai Arendarenko, Nikolai Markevich, Vasily Dokuchaev, Ivan Levakovsky, Nikolai Maximovich and Eugene Oppokov. Emphasis is placed on two main cartographic works of 1840-1860, reflecting detailed hydrographic network of rivers in the region – the map by N. Arendarenko “The main rivers and ravines of Poltava province” in 1848 and “Military-topographic map of the Russian Empire” 1846-1863 years, by F. Schubert and P.A. Tuchkov. It was highlighted information about the formation of gauging system on the rivers of the left bank of the Middle Dnieper and substantiated the key stages of formation, expansion and curtailment of the gauging system from 1880 to 2012. Information about field scientific expeditions along the rivers of the study region under the leadership of hydrologists V. Lokhtin (1882 – 1892) and E. Oppokov (1894 – 1898). Information is provided on the most accurate catalog of rivers and streams of the Dnieper basin by P.L. Mashtakov, “The List of Rivers of the Dnieper Basin. With Map and Alphabetical Index.” This catalog identifies 9 large basins of the Left Bank of the Middle Dnieper, which lists 569 rivers within the study area. Spatial and temporal analysis of water management, rail transport, agriculture on the main left tributaries of the Middle Dnieper during 1910 – 1930s is carried out. Activities of Hydrometeorological Service of USSR on making hydrological descriptions of the left tributaries of the Middle Dnieper from 1949 to 1960 are covered in detail. A detailed analysis of the list of works on hydrological and other researches concerning the rivers of the left bank of the Middle Dnieper basin from 1920 to 2022 is carried out

Геопластика рельєфу як засіб формування сприйняття ландшафтних композицій на прикладі Печерського ландшафтного парку у місті Києві

Geoplastics, as a method of vertical planning, is gaining more and more popularity among landscape architects, because this method gives the landscape an aesthetic unity, expressiveness, and a peculiar feature. The paper considers the influence of geo-plastic changes in the relief on a person, the viewer's perception of the environment. These factors are extremely important in the creation and design of the park, they allow the key elements to be presented, while creating harmonious combinations in the space, it is admirable and it is this that encourages you to visit the landscape object. Pechersk Landscape Park is located on the picturesque slopes of the Dnieper in Kiev, has a landscape type of planning, which is characterized by large areas of lawns with groups of shrubs and trees, the lack of symmetry in the placement of alleys and other elements of free planning. The park zone itself covers an area of 32,92 hectares. Location in difficult terrain contributes to the use of geo-plastic tools, which can be used to improve and develop park space. The illuminated research is based on the analogy method, by means of which the analog elements of geoplastics are transferred to the results obtained during the field survey of the park territory on difficult terrain. Graphic materials were developed using the ArchiCad 21 software package based on the original cartographic data. A detailed analysis of the problematic aspects of the Pechersky Landscape Park identified the main tasks: adaptability to the needs of society, increasing the comfort of stay, improving the natural landscape, arranging natural zones of park relief. Techniques and methods for improving the territory were applied, such as terracing slopes, creating eco-chairs, using artificial relief in playgrounds. The impact of these changes on the stay of visitors and on the environment as a whole is summarized and predicted. The use of geoplastics in the context of the perception of landscape compositions will contribute to solving problematic relief and exposition aspects of the Pechersk Landscape Park, which will increase its recreational potential.

Wczesnośredniowieczne grodzisko w Dusinie, pow. gostyński, woj. wielkopolskie w świetle ponownej analizy archeologicznej

The article presents the results of another archaeological analysis carried out on materials from an early medieval settlement in Dusina in southern Greater Poland. The data obtained during the excavations, during the millennium research, prompted the recognition of the settlement as the oldest motte-type object in Poland. During the verification of the old findings, the ceramic material and the stratigraphic situation were re-analyzed, radiocarbon dating was made, and historical and cartographic data were used to confirm the chronology of the stronghold as well as the course of events that led to severe damage and disturbance of the original appearance of the stronghold. A contour plan and a model of the terrain were also prepared.

Effects of Anthropogenic Pressures on Dune Systems—Case Study: Calabria (Italy)

During the second half of the last century, considerable anthropization processes were observed throughout most of the Italian territory. These processes have altered the equilibrium conditions of several river and coastal ecosystems, causing the destruction of numerous dune systems. This issue is particularly important in territories such as Calabria, a region in southern Italy subject to considerable anthropogenic pressures and characterized by over 700 km of coast. The aim of the paper was to evaluate the effects of anthropogenic pressures on the Calabrian dune systems, especially in regard to the triggering of coastal erosion processes. For this purpose, historical and current cartographic data, such as shapefiles, cartography, and satellite imagery, were analyzed using QGIS. This evaluation was carried out through the comparison between the current extension of the dune systems and their extensions after the Second World War, before the anthropogenic pressures. This evaluation was also carried out through the analysis of shoreline changes in coastal areas, where dune systems are currently present, and in coastal areas where dune systems have been partially or totally destroyed by anthropogenic causes, compared to the 1950s, thus excluding coastal areas without dune systems in the 1950s, and analyzing what was built in place of the destroyed dune systems. Two criteria were defined to identify the levels of destruction of the dune systems and to identify the coastal erosion processes. The analysis showed a strong correlation between the destruction of dune systems by anthropogenic causes and the triggering of coastal erosion processes.