Land Cover Changes in Natura 2000 Areas Located in Suburban Zones: Planning Problems in the Context of Environmental Protection

Abstract

The aim of the article was to identify changes in the structure of land use and land cover in the context of spatial planning problems. The research was conducted on valley areas protected under the Natura 2000 programme and that are located within the zone of influence of a big city. The researchers analysed local planning documents to see whether they were in agreement with the aims of the protection programme. The Natura 2000 areas located in the Commune of Stęszew, Poznań County were chosen for a case study. The article describes recurrent problems and phenomena that are typical of the protected areas and that are simultaneously affected by the pressure of urbanisation. GIS tools were used to make a comparative analysis of six categories of land use forms in three research periods and to calculate the indicator of land cover variance. Since the 1980s, the areas under study have been affected by changes in land use. They have been manifested by a higher forestation rate, increasing numbers of developed areas, and a decrease in farmland area. The percentage of other components of the land cover structure has not changed much. In view of environmental protection, the changes proposed in spatial plans are a matter of special concern. The territory under analysis is characterised by a very high land cover variance indicator referring to the developed area, whereas the indicators referring to farmland and wetland areas are negative. It is particularly difficult to apply the rule of sustainable development in the areas. The protection of natural values and the developmental needs of the commune stand in opposition to each other and cause spatial planning conflicts.

Investment Activity and Nature Conservation in Private Natura 2000 Sites in Poland - a Case Study

“…On the one hand, the farm owners who participated in the study are not willing to engage in more sophisticated forms of conservation activity, on the other hand, they seem to avoid the implementation of investment projects and related procedures, perhaps fearing a potential conflict between economic activities and nature conservation. Such conflicts have been reported from many European countries, often in the early stages of Natura 2000 implementation [15][16][17][18][19][20].…”

Changes in Selected Aspects of Environmental Management: The Case of Natura 2000 in South-Eastern Poland

“…This may result in the future reduction of the number of potential conflicts between infrastructural development and economic activity -nature protection. Conflicts of this type occurred both in Poland and in other European countries, especially in the initial phase of implementing the Natura 2000 program (Galloa et al, 2018;Beunen, 2006;Beunen, Van Assche, and Duineveld, 2013;Gałecka-Drozda et al, 2019;Gotkiewicz and Wiśniewska, 2018;Izakovičová, Miklós, and Miklósová, 2018).…”

Application and Practice of Neural Networks in the Natural Protection Environment

“…Before developing scenic spots, it must carry out detailed research and planning, expand the scope of protection, unify the development planning around the scenic spots, make the scenic spots develop within the scope of ecological capacity, and prohibit random development and predatory development. In order to provide fresh air and comfortable environment for gei, it is necessary to effectively control sewage discharge and wastewater discharge [15]. The treatment of the equipment should meet the national standards, be far away from the scenic spots, and would not pollute the soil, rivers and vegetation.…”