Spatial relationship between human population density, land use intensity and biodiversity in the Czech Republic

0381940 - ÚVGZ 2013 RIV NL eng J - Journal Article
Vačkář, David - Chobot, K. - Orlitová, E.
Spatial relationship between human population density, land use intensity and biodiversity in the Czech Republic.
Landscape Ecology. Roč. 27, č. 9 (2012), s. 1279-1290. ISSN 0921-2973. E-ISSN 1572-9761
Institutional support: RVO:67179843
Keywords : species richness * landscape diversity * human population density * human appropriation of net primary production * Czech Republic
Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour
Impact factor: 2.897, year: 2012

We test a hypothesis about the spatial coincidence of human population density and species richness, and analyze effects of land conversion and ecosystem use on species richness and landscape diversity in human dominated Central European country, the Czech Republic. We calculated fraction of aboveground net primary productivity appropriated by humans and compared it to the species richness of vertebrate, invertebrate and plant groups and to landscape diversity index in 560 mapping grid squares with grid size approximately 130 km2. Spatial correlations and regressions were established between human population density, appropriation of net primary production, land cover and biodiversity. We found positive spatial coincidence between human population density and species richness. Although the amount of net primary production was not related to species richness in general, we found significant negative spatial relationship between ecosystem use intensity and landscape diversity. As the area of the Czech Republic exhibits relatively high land use intensities, spatial patterns of human impacts have important implications for land management and biodiversity conservation in a cultural landscape.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0212296