A small-scale map analysis of the engineering-geological zone and landscape element dependencies for the land-use planning purposes in the Czech Republic

Abstract

The aim of the article is to describe the connections among the engineering-geological zones and landscape elements on the level of a small-scale map analysis of a whole country. Next, it also brings quantified spatial information on the distribution of the different engineering-geological zones in the Czech Republic (CR) in relation to landscape elements as such information is strategic for engineering, agricultural, and forestry activities of different countries. The information is crucial for scientists and land-use planners, including the limiting conditions of the distribution of certain geological environments within a country, which helps to calibrate the activities and adjust to the environments. This study reports the results of an overlay analysis of engineering-geological zones of the Czech Republic and of landscape elements (Corine). However, the major aim was not the overlay analysis itself, but an analysis of the obtained information from the whole-country perspective. Existing GIS database of engineering-geological zoning maps and CORINE Land Cover for Czech Republic in Arc/INFO GIS format was used to be data source. All data were available as polygons. For data combination, we have used GIS tool Intersection, by which we have combined data from two data layers. Resulting layer and its database were then processed; areal extent and percentage for every class were calculated. The quantification is strategic for researchers, land-use planners, developers, and designers as they may pay better attention to the most widespread engineering-geological environments in a country, and thus possibly eliminate damage arising from identical attention being paid to all geological environments. Each country should pay attention to their geological environments based on spatial distribution, and in relation to the landscape element percentages.