Landscape classification of the Czech Republic based on the distribution of natural habitats

0431384 - ÚGN 2015 RIV CZ eng J - Journal Article
Divíšek, Jan - Chytrý, M. - Grulich, V. - Poláková, L.
Landscape classification of the Czech Republic based on the distribution of natural habitats.
Preslia. Roč. 86, č. 3 (2014), s. 209-231. ISSN 0032-7786. E-ISSN 0032-7786
Institutional support: RVO:68145535
Keywords : biogeographical division * biotopes * constrained clustering * phytogeographical division * regionalization
Subject RIV: DE - Earth Magnetism, Geodesy, Geography
Impact factor: 4.104, year: 2014
http://www.preslia.cz/P143Divisek.pdf

We propose the first statistical landscape classification of the Czech Republic based on the distribution of different types of natural habitats (mainly defined in terms of plant communities) that resulted from national habitat mapping.We used occurrences of natural habitats in 2370 grid cells of 5' longitude × 3' latitude covering the whole area of the country. To cluster grid cells with similar habitat composition, we used two methods. First, we applied spatially unconstrained hierarchical clustering to obtain landscape types with maximal internal homogeneity in the range of natural habitats they contain. Second, we added spatial constraints to the classification process in order to obtain spatially cohesive regions. In both cases, the cross-validation technique proposed seven clusters as the optimal result.We also determined the characteristic habitats for each landscape type and region and characterized them using ecologically relevant attributes of abiotic environment and land cover. Our results showed that the separation of individual clusters is primarily determined by altitude and related climatic factors, and differences between the Bohemian Massif and Carpathians.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0235927