Abstract:The Sitno Natura 2000 Site covers an area of 935,56 hectares. The Sitno region is significant due to the number of rare and endangered species of plants, and as a result is considered a location of great importance to the maintenance of floral gene pools. The study area suffers human impacts in the form of tourism. The main purpose of this study is to the measure landscape elements, determine the ecological significance of habitats within the Sitno area, and from this data, organize the study area into conservation zones. The results of this landscape quantification are numerical values that can be used to interpret the quality of ongoing ecological processes within individual landscape types. Interpretation of this quantified data can be used to determine the ecological significance of landscapes in other study areas. This research examines the habitats of Natura 2000 Sites by a set of landscape metrics for habitat area, size, density, and shape, such as Number of patches (

This paper introduces an application of R programming language for geostatistical data processing with a case study of the Mariana Trench, Pacific Ocean. The formation of the Mariana Trench, the deepest among all hadal oceanic depth trenches, is caused by complex and diverse geomorphic factors affecting its development. Mariana Trench crosses four tectonic plates: Mariana, Caroline, Pacific and Philippine. The impact of the geographic location and geological factors on its geomorphology has been studied by methods of statistical analysis and data visualization using R libraries. The methodology includes following steps. Firstly, vector thematic data were processed in QGIS: tectonics, bathymetry, geomorphology and geology. Secondly, 25 cross-section profiles were drawn across the trench. The length of each profile is 1000-km. The attribute information has been derived from each profile and stored in a table containing coordinates, depths and thematic information. Finally, this table was processed by methods of the statistical analysis on R. The programming codes and graphical results are presented. The results include geospatial comparative analysis and estimated effects of the data distribution by tectonic plates: slope angle, igneous volcanic areas and depths. The innovativeness of this paper consists in a cross-disciplinary approach combining GIS, statistical analysis and R programming.

Current research details methodological framework for the land planning of the recreational activities based on ecologic approach. Human impacts on landscapes caused by touristic activities should be in accordance with sustainability level, i.e. without changing natural landscape elements, their function and processes, as well as environmental quality. Region of Štiavnické Bane in Slovakia represents a case study area that is completely under nature and landscape conservation. The methodological framework for the planning of recreational activities is based on the methodology of ecologic carrying capacity which is implemented by the Landscape ecological planning. The main result from this work is suitable tourism activities determined by the ecological approach. Methodological steps include spatial analysis, interpretation, evaluations and propositions which were suggested for recreational activities. The most suitable activities for winter periods are downhill skiing, cross-country skiing and winter tourism. For the summer period the best activities are the following ones: hiking, water sports and recreational activities linked to watering and sport fishing. The most suitable activities for the year-round period are service facilities and therapeutic recreational facilities. This sum of the activities represents the level of the land using that has not any negative environmental impact.

The study area is located in western Pacific Ocean, Mariana Trench. The aim of the data analysis is to analyze the potential influence of how various geological and tectonic factors may affect the geomorphological shape of the Mariana Trench. Statistical analysis of the data set in marine geology and oceanography requires an adequate strategy on big data processing. In this context, current research proposes a combination of the Python-based methodology that couples GIS geospatial data analysis. The Quantum GIS part of the methodology produces an optimized representative sampling dataset consisting of 25 cross-section profiles having in total 12,590 bathymetric observation points. The sampling of the geospatial dataset are located across the Mariana Trench. The second part of the methodology consists of statistical data processing by means of high-level programming language Python. Current research uses libraries Pandas, NumPy and SciPy. The data processing also involves the subsampling of two auxiliary masked data frames from the initial large data set that only consists of the target variables: sediment thickness, slope angle degrees and bathymetric observation points across four tectonic plates: Pacific, Philippine, Mariana, and Caroline. Finally, the data were analyzed by several approaches: 1) Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) for analysis of the probability of data distribution; 2) stacked area chart for visualization of the data range across various segments of the trench; 3) spacial series of radar charts; 4) stacked bar plots showing the data distribution by tectonic plates; 5) stacked bar charts for correlation of sediment thickness by profiles, versus distance from the igneous volcanic areas; 6) circular pie plots visualizing data distribution by 25 profiles; 7) scatterplot matrices for correlation analysis between marine geologic variables. The results presented a distinct correlation between the geologic, tectonic and oceanographic variables. Six Python codes are provided in full for repeatability of this research.

The paper presents a sequential use of the AWK and GNU Octave programming languages integrated with Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) for geospatial data analysis. The geographic scope of the research is focused on the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench, north Pacific Ocean. Practical research aim is to analyse and compare bathymetry in the southern and northern part of the trench using digitized crosssection profiles. The initial mapping and geospatial analysis was performed in GMT scripting toolset. The GMT was used for cartographic mapping based on the raster ETOPO1 grid and automatic digitizing of the profiles crossing the trench perpendicularly. Besides visualized map, the processed geodata were received in a numerical form as a complex multi-field table for each segment. These tables were generated by the GMT in its native format and could not be directly processed by the MATLAB/Octave. Therefore, the tables were exported to AWK, a data-driven programming language and a powerful tool for data extraction. The table was then restructured, sorted and reshaped by the AWK script. Because the total amount of profiles overstepped 100 (62 and 52 for the northern and southern trench segments), only selected profiles were visualized. For this purpose, at the next step the modified tables were converted to GNU Octave language for visualizing and plotting selected profiles. Finally, the geomorphology was analysed and two segments compared. The results show that the southern part has deeper bathymetric values, vary in geomorphic structure and has steeper gradient slopes comparing to the north, which is caused by the seismicity, volcanism, geologic and tectonic settings. Three full scripts of GMT, AWK and GNU Octave programming languages are presented for replicability in the Appendix.

Current study is focused on the GMT based modelling of the two hadal trenches located in southwest Pacific Ocean, eastwards from Australia: Tonga and Kermadec. Due to its inaccessible location, the seafloor of the deep-sea trench can only be visualized using remote sensing tools and advanced algorithms of data analysis. The importance of the developing and technical improving of the innovative methods in cartographic data processing is indisputable. Automatization in data analysis has been significantly increased over the past years. However, using programming and scripting in cartography still remains lower comparing to the use of the traditional GIS. Therefore, developing GMT-based methods for the geomorphological data processing is crucial for better understanding the landforms of the seafloor. Methodology includes application of the GMT scripting toolset for the automated digitizing of the profiles crossing the trenches in perpendicular direction. A sequence of the GMT codes enabled to visualize raster and vector data, perform geomorphological modelling, descriptive statistical data analysis and quantitative comparison of the two trenches. Using GMT, the bathymetric sample data of the Kermadec and Tonga trenches were modeled, analyzed and compared. The results show deeper bathymetry and more seafloor roughness for the Tonga. Comparing to Kermadec, Tonga Trench has steeper gradient of the profiles. The seafloor geomorphology is strongly affected by a variety of factors that shape actual form of both trenches. The experimental methodology is fully based on the GMT scripting with presented and explained codes.

The author presents a geospatial analysis of the Peru-Chile Trench located in the South Pacific Ocean by the Generic Mapping Tool (GMT) scripting toolset used to process and model data sets. The study goal is to perform geomorphological modelling by the comparison of two segments of the trench located in northern (Peruvian) and southern (Chilean) parts. The aim of the study is to perform automatic digitizing profiles using GMT and several scripting modules. Orthogonal cross-section profiles transecting the trench in a perpendicular direction were automatically digitized, and the profiles visualized and compared. The profiles show variations in the geomorphology of the trench in the northern and southern segments. To visualize geological and geophysical settings, a set of the thematic maps was visualized by GMT modules: free-air gravity anomaly, geoid, geology and bathymetry. The results of the descriptive statistical analysis of the bathymetry in both segments show that the most frequent depths for the Peruvian segment of the Peru-Chile Trench range from -4,000 to -4,200 (827 recorded samples) versus the range of -4,500 to -4,700 m for the Peruvian segment (1,410 samples). The Peruvian segment of the trench is deeper and its geomorphology steeper with abrupt slopes compared to the Chilean segment. A comparison of the data distribution for both segments gives the following results. The Peruvian segment has the majority of data (23%) reaching 1,410 (-4,500 m to -4,700 m). This peak shows a steep pattern in data distribution, while other data in the neighbouring diapason are significantly lower: 559 (-4,700 m to -5,000 m) and 807 (-4,200 m to -4,400 m). The Chilean segment has more unified data distribution for depths of -6,000 m to -7,000 m. This paper presents GMT workflow for the cartographic automatic modelling and mapping deep-sea trench geomorphology.

The study area is focused on the Kuril–Kamchatka Trench, North Pacific Ocean. This region is geologically complex, notable for the lithosphere activity, tectonic plates subduction and active volcanism. The submarine geomorphology is complicated through terraces, slopes, seamounts and erosional processes. Understanding geomorphic features of such a region requires precise modelling and effective visualization of the high-resolution data sets. Therefore, current research presents a Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) based algorithm proposing a solution for effective data processing and precise mapping: iterative module-based scripting for the automated digitizing and modelling. Methodology consists of the following steps: topographic mapping of the raster grids, marine gravity and geoid; semi-automatic digitizing of the orthogonal cross-section profiles; modelling geomorphic trends of the gradient slopes; computing raster surfaces from the xyz data sets by modules nearneighbor and XYZ2grd. Several types of the cartographic projections were used: oblique Mercator, Mercator cylindrical, conic equal-area Albers, conic equidistant. The cross-section geomorphic profiles in a perpendicular direction across the two selected segments of the trench were automatically digitized. Developed algorithm of the semi-automated digitizing of the profiles enabled to visualize gradients of the slope steepness of the trench. The data were then modelled to show gradient variations in its two segments. The results of the comparative geomorphic analysis of northern and southern transects revealed variations in different parts of the trench. Presented research provided more quantitative insights into the structure and settings of the submarine landforms of the hadal trench that still remains a question for the marine geology. The research demonstrated the effectiveness of the GMT: a variety of modules, approaches and tools that can be used to produce high-quality mapping and graphics. The GMT listings are provided for repeatability.