<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> The landscape of the Czech Republic currently faces droughts that are caused by several factors. One of the reasons for drought is landscape development and land cover changes. Changes in water and wetland areas and streams were studied by comparing old military maps and the present state. Water and wetland areas in fertile lowlands significantly decreased over time; the landscape was continuously dried out with the aim of increasing agricultural and woody production. While water and wetland areas occupied nearly one-third of the study area (Nové Dvory and Žehušice micro-regions in Central Bohemia) at the end of the 18th century, the present share of these areas is only 3.5%. There was a decrease of approximately 10% in each period, and nearly all of these areas disappeared by the end of the 19th century. Water and wetland areas were changed primarily to arable land. The length of streams decreased by the end of the 19th century. Drainage and irrigation channels were built during the 20th century, and although they are only periodic or episodic streams, these channels increased the total length of streams.</abstract>

The landscape of the Czech Republic currently faces droughts that are caused by several factors. One of the reasons for drought is landscape development and land cover changes. Changes in water and wetland areas and streams were studied by comparing old military maps and the present state. Water and wetland areas in fertile lowlands significantly decreased over time; the landscape was continuously dried out with the aim of increasing agricultural and woody production. While water and wetland areas occupied nearly one-third of the study area (Nové Dvory and Žehušice micro-regions in Central Bohemia) at the end of the 18th century, the present share of these areas is only 3.5%. There was a decrease of approximately 10% in each period, and nearly all of these areas disappeared by the end of the 19th century. Water and wetland areas were changed primarily to arable land. The length of streams decreased by the end of the 19th century. Drainage and irrigation channels were built during the 20th century, and although they are only periodic or episodic streams, these channels increased the total length of streams.

Long term changes in water areas and wetlands in an intensively farmed landscape: A case study from the Czech Republic

CSc., Silva Tarouca Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental Gardening, Květnové náměstí 391, 252 43 Průhonice,

CSc., Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Albertov 6, 128 00 Praha 2,

European Countryside

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

The landscape of the Czech Republic currently faces droughts that are caused by several factors. One of the reasons for drought is landscape development and...

Long term changes in water areas and wetlands in an intensively farmed landscape: A case study from the Czech Republic

Article Category: Research articles

Published Online: Apr 06, 2017

Page range: 132 - 144

Received: Jun 16, 2016

Accepted: Jan 08, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/euco-2017-0008

Keywords
streams, still waters, wetlands, land use changes, drought, central Europe

© by Markéta Šantrůčková

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Long term changes in water areas and wetlands in an intensively farmed landscape: A case study from the Czech Republic

Article Category: Research articles

Published Online: Apr 06, 2017

Page range: 132 - 144

Received: Jun 16, 2016

Accepted: Jan 08, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/euco-2017-0008

Keywordsstreams, still waters, wetlands, land use changes, drought, central Europe

© by Markéta Šantrůčková

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
streams, still waters, wetlands, land use changes, drought, central Europe